About This Project

Otters are immigrating to the Greater Yellowstone’s historically fishless Beartooth Plateau as a side effect of sport fish stocking as well as climate change. As an “invasive species” in this alpine environment, these predators could have serious consequences for native species. Our team of citizen scientists will collect data on this new population for monitoring and hypothesis testing, and we will share results through both technical and popular formats.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Despite having more than 400 lakes and streams, the alpine Beartooth Plateau was historically fishless and thus unsuitable otter habitat. But trout stocking began in the early 1900s, and although otters were never "stocked" nor detected during surveys in the '60s and '90s, they are now found there too. And like the rest of the Rockies, Beartooth winters have been getting warmer, which helps otters by thinning ice and improving access to prey. Being a new population, baseline data is needed for monitoring. It also prompts the questions: Is this a resident (breeding) or a transient population? Do they eat anything besides stocked trout? How do native alpine species respond to this nonnative predator? How has/will climate change affect habitat suitability in this extreme environment?

What is the significance of this project?

The Beartooth Plateau is a pristine piece of the Greater Yellowstone, one of the world's most intact and well known ecosystems. It is entirely in national forests and mostly in designated wilderness. Despite this protection, it is a human-altered landscape impacted by climate change. This project will show how our actions are affecting a sensitive ecosystem, and how that ecosystem is responding. Its results will provide insight necessary to resist the changes and/or adapt to them ourselves, both here and in other alpine areas worldwide, thus benefiting regional wildlife managers as well as conservation science as a whole. Plus, by studying and reporting on charismatic species in a stunning landscape, we will engage everyday folks and local communities in natural science and conservation.

What are the goals of the project?

Through snowtracking and scat analysis, we will collect baseline demographic, distribution, dietary, and interaction data for future monitoring. With these data, plus data from satellite imagery, weather stations, and models, we will test hypotheses that (1) This is a resident population (just adults, or juveniles too?), (2) Stocked trout are its primary prey, (3) It affects native mesocarnivores [FIG. 1], and (4) Warmer winters [FIG. 2] and thinner ice [FIG. 3] have improved habitat suitability. Volunteer backcountry skiers will collect data and samples in May 2018, with analysis the following summer. To communicate results to managers, scientists, and the public, we will work with local journalists and filmmakers to supplement technical publications.