John,

Once numbering in the tens of thousands from Baja to Oregon, southern sea otters were driven to near-extinction by the fur trade. Thanks to federal protection granted in 1977, they’ve clawed their way back from the brink — but only in a small portion of their range off the central California coast.

But now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering removing their Endangered Species Act protection. This would be devastating to the sea otters, who still have a long way to go in their recovery.

Speak up for continued protections for southern sea otters.

In addition to being iconic and adorable, these marine mammals are ecologically important. By eating sea urchins — one of their favorite foods — they help sustain kelp forests that support a great diversity of life. Without hungry otters, unchecked sea urchins overgraze on kelp, destabilizing ecosystems.

It’s too soon to remove protection from southern sea otters, who are far from recovered. They continue to be threatened by climate change, pollution, predation, harmful algal blooms and disease. Worryingly, their population began declining again in 2016.

You can help: Tell the Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain the safeguards this species still needs.