New on AAAS: Relocation of California Sea Otters Ends

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to end its sea otter relocation program, allowing the marine mammals to roam freely down the southern California coastline. The relocation program was initiated 25 years ago, in an effort to create "otter-free zones" in waters reserved for fishermen. Now, federal officials are terminating the failed initiative, allowing sea otters to expand throughout their natural range along the California coast.Read my Q & A with sea otter expert Dr. Katherine Ralls (pdf or link).