The Community ecology of sea otters /

This well-illustrated and well-edited work of 11 chapters by 13 recognized authorities on sea otter biology originated from two primary considerations: one, the effect of this endangered species on the near shore communities, and second, the political aspects of an enlarging population of a predator and the desires of some to restock extinct populations. Most authors devote considerable space to methods and interpretation of study results involving the changeability of the marine shore environment because of the otter's selective predation. Obviously the book will be of interest to mammalian and marine ecologists, but also to all biologists interested in the relationships between predators and their environment. The recovery of the sea otter from the brink of extinction has caught the imagination of the general public as well as the biological community, and this book should go a long way toward satisfying the curiosity of those concerned with the present level of recovery and what the future may hold for this species. Includes a subject index and a bibliography of more than 400 references. -D. T. Stalling, Northwestern State University of Louisiana