Group seeks reintroduction of sea otters along West Coast

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A nonprofit group that aims to protect endangered species has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce sea otters to a stretch of the West Coast from Northern California to Oregon. Threatened southern sea otters occupy only 13% of their historic range, with a small population of the mammals currently living on California’s central coast. The Center for Biological Diversity said Thursday that bringing the sea otter back to the broader West Coast would be an unparalleled conservation success story and would also help restore vital kelp forest and seagrass ecosystems.