Mercury content in the fur of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the Commander Islands.

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a keystone species in the ecosystem which is currently in depression in Russia. The objectives of this study were to: (1) establish if the sea otters from the Commander Islands have hazardous levels of mercury (Hg) in their fur; (2) assess Hg pollution in sea otters during a period of high abundance and population depression; (3) identify the age and sex differences in sea otters by Hg content. The sea otters were classified from no to low risk for Hg health effects.