Geospatial Data Collected from Tagged Sea Otters in Central California, 1998-2012

The data report locations of tagged southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) which are listed as threatened by IUCN and are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Because the data were collected by U.S. Geological Survey biologists in collaboration with biologists from collaborating organizations, including Monterey Bay Aquarium and UC Santa Cruz, there are issues of data ownership and appropriate acknowledgement for data useage that may vary from file to file. Researchers wishing to use the data are required to contact the owners to acquire appropriate data permissions and also obtain additional meta-data for tagged sea otters. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government