6th Annual Judith Ramaley Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
 
Online Book of Abtracts

Poster #2

River Otters and Pollution

Jessica Abernathy

Faculty Mentor: Robin Richardson

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are often the top predators in the riverine ecosystems in which they reside.  This makes them highly susceptible to the pollution that occurs in the ecosystem. Southeastern Minnesota rivers have experienced high levels of pollution due to agricultural run off and other human practices.  This has impacted the river otters.  I examined a population of river otters in Whitewater State Park, which has recovered in the past five years, to test for a correlation between several pollutants and the estimated populations of river otters.  Latrine sites along with video footage were used to locate river otters. Population sizes were estimated from hunting statistics and compared against various chemical factors on the river to test for a correlation between otter populations and pollution in the river.  We were able to establish trends between river otter harvest statistics and certain pollutants found in the river.