Otters as Bioindicators of Estuarine Health
Summary
This paper argues that otters are effective bioindicators of estuarine health, detailing how habitat connectivity, contaminant bioaccumulation, pathogens, and behavioral proxies reflect ecosystem status. It surveys the global research landscape and proposes an operational framework for otter-based estuarine monitoring, offering a blueprint for integrating otter-derived indicators into management. Ethical considerations and data sharing are discussed.