Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research,

Impact 47(1): activity

of human 122-128,patterns
2019 on the marine otter (Lontra felina) in central Chile 1
DOI: 10.3856/vol47-issue1-fulltext-13

Research Article

Impact of human activities in habitat use and activity patterns

of the marine otter (Lontra felina) in central Chile

Laura Gutiérrez1,2, Fernanda Vargas1,3, Pía Pinto1,4, Walter Troncoso1

Macarena Santos-Carvallo2 & Maritza Sepúlveda2,5
1
Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Reñaca, Chile
2
Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Instituto de Biología
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
3
Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida
Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
4
Dirección General del Territorio Marítimo y de Marina Mercante (DIRECTEMAR), Valparaíso, Chile
5
Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
Corresponding author: Laura Gutiérrez ([email protected])

ABSTRACT. The marine otter (Lontra felina) inhabits almost the entire coast of Chile. Its population density
and its response to several anthropic threats are almost unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze and
compare the patterns of habitat use, the frequency of sightings, and behavior of the marine otter in two coastal
areas of the Valparaíso Region: Cachagua and Quintay. Twenty simultaneous visits to these localities were
made, 10 in summer and 10 in fall. The observation area of each locality was divided into quadrants parallel to
the coast to evaluate the marine otter habitat use. We evaluated the number of sightings, the type of behavior
(displacement, diving, or feeding) and the duration. The number of sightings was significantly higher in Quintay.
There was significantly more displacement in Quintay than in Cachagua during the summer. However, the time
spent by the otters in the three behaviors was similar between seasons in Quintay. Moreover, the displacement
and diving were less frequent in Cachagua during summer. The results suggest that the marine otter can adapt
to changes in the conditions of its surroundings caused by humans.
Keywords: Lontra felina; marine otter; habitat; endangered species; anthropic impacts; Chile

INTRODUCTION habitat degradation and fragmentation in coastal areas

has accelerated in recent decades (Medina-Vogel et al.,
Due to the increase of use of coastal areas by humans, 2008; Vianna et al., 2010; Valqui, 2012). For birds, this
the probability of adverse impacts on the fragile coastal has produced an alteration in their feeding and nesting
ecosystems and the species that inhabit them has areas (Rodgers & Schwikert, 2002; Davenport &
increased considerably (Kirkwood et al., 2003; Valqui, Davenport, 2006), and for marine mammals, it has
2004; Medina-Vogel et al., 2008). Notably, for birds changed their habitat use (Harwood, 2001; Seuront &
and coastal marine mammals, perturbations such as Cribb, 2011).
construction, the presence of boats and tourists on the The sea otter Enhydra lutris in California, and the
coast may alter the natural behavior of the animals. In marine otter or ‘chungungo’ Lontra felina (Kreuder et
many cases they have been driven away from essential al., 2003; Medina-Vogel et al., 2007) in Chile are
habitat areas, interrupting their feeding and breeding among the most vulnerable species to human activites.
cycles, which could produce a decrease in their These two species use rocky tidal shores as habitat
abundance and reproductive success (e.g., Kovacs & with areas for feeding, grooming and establishing
Innes, 1990; Yorio & Boersma, 1992; Cassini, 2001; dens (Estes et al., 1978; Rozzi & Torres-Murra, 1990).
Stockin et al., 2008). Several studies have shown that Ebensperger & Castilla (1992) indicated that L. felina

__________________
Corresponding editor: Jorge Urbán
123
2 Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research

uses the Chilean rocky intertidal zone, which has Quintay (33°11’S, 71°42’W) (Fig. 1). We made a total
natural crevices used as dens and feeding areas. The of 20 simultaneous visits to these two localities, 10 in
availability of dens appears to be a critical factor in summer (January and February 2015) and 10 in fall
habitat selection and the presence of this species in (May and June 2015). The observation site in Cachagua
given sectors (Castilla & Bahamondes, 1979; Castilla, was situated north of the town, in a rocky area next to a
1982; Cabello, 1983). coastal walking road with high tourist flow in summer
Threats to marine otter populations have increased months, but low tourist flow in fall months. The
in recent years in Chile, which in turn has increased observation point for Quintay was north of the fishing
their isolation (Medina-Vogel et al., 2008; Vianna et village; it is a semi-protected rocky zone away from
al., 2010; Valqui, 2012). When humans are present, human activities during the entire year (Fig. 1).
marine otters remain away from their dens during the
day; they are observed near fissures and places difficult Data collection
to access by humans and away from the coast (Badilla In each visit, direct observations were made by two
& George-Nascimento, 2009). The marine otter, researchers separated by a distance of approximately
currently classified as endangered by the International
150 m. Observations took place from 09:00 to 18:00 h.
Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Valqui
& Rheingantz, 2015), and the information about this Every five minutes each observer scanned the study
species is still insufficient in Chile. Therefore, it is area for one minute, using the methodology proposed
critical to evaluate how this species is impacted by and by Medina-Voguel et al. (2006). The observation area
how it responds to the continual increase in the use of was divided into unequal quadrants parallel to the coast
the coast in Chile. (Fig. 1) extending 100 m into the ocean, with a visual
The Valparaíso Region in the central part of Chile cover of approximately 350 m. These quadrants were
is an important distribution area for L. felina. It is also georeferenced, and we counted the number of sightings
a region with heavy use of the coast, due both to the in each of them. With this information the habitat use
construction of houses and industries and to the of L. felina was evaluated, representing the data using
massive influx of tourists, especially in summer Google Earth satellite images and using the QGIS
months. This impact may be reflected in a) decreased (version 2.18) program to graph this variable.
presence of the marine otter (a lower number of A sighting event was recorded every time an animal
sightings), b) changes in its behavior, spending more or a group of animals was seen (Badilla & George-
time in displacement and doing less feeding, and c) Nascimento, 2009). The time and the quadrant in which
differences in habitat use, spending more time away the individual or group was located, as well as the
from the coast. In contrast, in areas with less anthropic
intervention and/or outside of the summer season more behavior and its duration were recorded for each
animals are expected to be observed along the coast, sighting. Different behaviors from a same individual
with more time dedicated to feeding in sectors near the were registered separately. Observed behaviors were
coast. assigned to a) feeding, b) diving, and c) displacement,
The objective of this study is to analyze and following the criteria used in previous studies (Castilla
compare the patterns of habitat use, sightings and & Bahamondes, 1979; Badilla & George-Nascimento,
behavior of the marine otter in two coastal areas of the 2009; González-Pérez & Cubero-Pardo, 2010) and field
Valparaíso Region, Cachagua and Quintay, which have experience (Table 1).
different characteristics of anthropic activity. We
predict, that: 1) the impact of human activities on the Statistical analysis
coast will negatively affect the presence of marine The variables number of sightings and time in each
otters; 2) they will dedicate more time to displacement behavior were analyzed. The number of sightings was
and less time to feeding in the Cachagua sector (high analyzed independently for localities and seasons,
human presence), especially in summer months; and 3) using 2×2 contingency tables. The three behaviors were
in Quintay (low human presence) there will not be analyzed independently for localities and seasons,
temporal changes in the number of sightings and/or in
using factorial ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test, de-
the time marine otters allocate to different behaviors.
pending upon whether the data did or did not fulfill the
parametric assumptions of normality and homos-
MATERIAL AND METHODS cedasticity (Zar, 1996). The duration of each behavior
was standardized using the number of sightings in each
Study zone locality. Statistical analyses were performed with
This study was performed in two localities of the Statistica 7 (StatSoft, Inc., 2004), considering P < 0.05
Valparaíso Region: Cachagua (32°35’S, 71°27’W) and as significant.
 Impact of human activity patterns on the marine otter (Lontra felina) in central Chile 1243

Figure 1. Geographic location of a) Cachagua and b) Quintay study sites in the Valparaíso Region, central zone of Chile.
Yellow lines indicate the quadrants, and the blue circles the observation points.

Table 1. Description of the behaviors of Lontra felina observed in the field.

Behavior Description
Displacement The animal maintains a constant direction to move from one place to another on land or in the water,
with constant immersions.
Diving Prolonged immersions that begin after the animal lifts its tail to the surface.
Feeding Animal ingests different organisms such as crustaceans, fish and mollusks, both on the ocean surface
and on rocky shore.

RESULTS

A total of 471 sightings, 164 in Cachagua and 307 in

Quintay were registered. The number of sightings was
significantly higher in Quintay (χ2 = 86.8, P < 0.0001).
Contrary to expectation, the number of sightings was
significantly higher in fall for Quintay (χ 2 = 18.3, P <
0.0001), and in summer for Cachagua (χ 2 = 35.6, P <
0.0001) (Fig. 2).
There were significant differences in behavior for
each locality. There was significantly more displa-
cement in Quintay during summer but this difference
was not significantly during fall, and significantly more
diving in Quintay in both seasons (Tables 2). Figure 2. Number of sightings of Lontra felina during
No significant differences were found in feeding summer and fall in Cachagua and Quintay, Valparaíso
behavior between seasons or localities (Table 2). The Region, central zone of Chile. Bars indicate standard
time spent by the animals in these three behaviors was deviations.
4125 Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research

Table 2. Comparison of the time recorded for the three Table 3. Duration of the behaviors of Lontra felina in the
behaviors in Cachagua and Quintay of Lontra felina in studied localities and seasons.
different seasons.
Displacement Diving Feeding
Locality Season
Summer Fall (s) (s) (s)
Behavior
χ2 P χ2 P Summer 9,711 1,810 1,330
Quintay
Displacement 13.33 0.0003 0.44 0.50 Fall 13,035 7,339 2,337
Diving 4.86 0.02 5.93 0.01 Summer 2,772 777 1,732
Cachagua
Feeding 0.03 0.85 0.76 0.38 Fall 5,778 1,041 577

similar between seasons in Quintay, while in Cachagua process and leave the dens more frequently in this
they dedicated significantly more time to displacement season, which in turn increases the number of sightings.
and diving in fall (Table 3). It is important to note that other environmental and/or
Marine otters did not use all the quadrants equally. anthropogenic factors may affect marine otter
In Cachagua, more marine otters were seen in quadrant populations, such as the size of waves and the number
G in summer (17%), and in quadrant E in fall (16.4%) of tourists (Barbosa et al., 2001). However these factors
(Fig. 3), while in Quintay there were more sightings in were not considered in this study.
quadrant F both in summer (31.5%) and fall (48.9%)
(Fig. 4). Also contrary to our expectation, the number of
sightings between seasons was different in Cachagua,
DISCUSSION with more sightings in summer. Lontra. felina spends
more than 80% of the day hidden in caves, preferably
This study provides new information on the relative within or near its burrow. Thus the number of
abundance and behavior of L. felina in the central area individuals may be underestimated (Medina-Voguel et
of Chile. Its relevance resides in the fact that the marine al., 2006, 2007). However, one consequence of the
otter is one of the marine mammals with the greatest increase in the number of tourists is the presence of
conservation problems both in Chile and in the world domestic animals, including rats, that may disturb their
(Valqui & Rheingantz, 2015). This study is an addition dens (Apaza et al., 2003; Medina-Vogel et al., 2008;
to other Chilean studies on the distribution and Vianna et al., 2010; Mangel et al., 2011), making the
abundance of this species (Cabello, 1983; Rozzi & otters more visible when they leave their hiding places.
Torres-Mura, 1990; Sielfeld & Castilla, 1999),
It should be mentioned that the study area is in front of
particularly in a region poorly evaluated. It also adds to
Cachagua Island National Monument (between Bahía
studies of the marine otter’s characteristics and habitat
de Quintero and Cachagua), which has the highest
selection (Sielfeld, 1990; Ebensperger & Castilla,
1992; Medina-Vogel et al., 2006, 2007), and behavior density of chungungos in the area (Figueroa et al.,
and diet (Castilla & Bahamondes, 1979; Castilla, 1982; 2016). This island is administered by the National
Ostfeld et al., 1989; Sielfeld, 1990; Ebensperger & Forestry Corporation (CONAF), which prohibits the
Castilla, 1992; Medina, 1995; Villegas et al., 2007; presence of people on the island. Along with its
Badilla & George-Nascimento, 2009; Córdova et al., topography, this makes it an ideal place for the animals
2009; Mangel et al., 2011; Córdova & Rau, 2016). to stay when animals are bothered by the tourists, a
As expected, the results showed a significantly condition that may account for the increased number of
higher number of sightings in Quintay. Lontra. felina sightings (CONAF, 2017).
uses areas with strong wave exposure (Sielfeld, 1990; There was more displacement in Quintay than in
Sielfeld & Castilla, 1999), such as in Cachagua. Cachagua during summer. This could be related to the
However, its distribution does not appear to be location of the feeding areas in both sectors. Field
exclusively restricted to exposed zones. They can also observations indicated that most displacements in
use more restricted areas (Delgado-Rodríguez et al., Quintay appeared to be in quadrants away from the
2006) such as Quintay, which has beneficial conditions coast in search of food (Fig. 4, quadrant C-D), whereas
for chungungo permanence. the feeding zones in Cachagua are closer to the coast
Contrary to our prediction, there were differences in (Fig. 4, quadrant E-G). There were frequent observa-
the number of sightings between seasons in Quintay, tions of adults returning to their burrows from feeding
with the number of sightings increasing during fall. zones with prey in their mouths, which is coincident
Based on field observations, this may be related to the with the fact that adults were recorded together with
presence of offspring in the area, who are in a learning their offspring in both seasons in Quintay.
 Impact of human activity patterns on the marine otter (Lontra felina) in central Chile 126
5

Figure 3. Proportion of sightings of Lontra felina in the different quadrants of observation in Cachagua. The colors indicate
the spaces most used by the animals in a) summer and b) fall.

seasons were recorded, both being shorter during

summer. As mentioned above, this may be due to the
vicinity of the Cachagua Island, which may be a feeding
and refuge area for the chungungos, especially during
summer when there are many people in the coastal
areas of the mainland.
Habitat use by L. felina was selective. The quadrants
most used by chungungos in Cachagua were G in
summer and E in fall. Both quadrants are shallow areas
near the coast, mostly used to search for food and to
move to the crevices in the adjacent rocky areas. The
change in habitat use between seasons may be related
to food availability in the two quadrants, described as a
factor that modifies habitat use (Lodé, 1994). Also,
quadrant G is hard for people to access, which prevents
it from being disturbed by human presence. The
quadrant F was the most used by the chungungos in
both seasons in Quintay. Offspring were observed there
during the entire study, which would explain the
preferential use of this sector by adults.
Although further study is required, the results
Figure 4. Proportion of sightings of Lontra felina in the reported here suggest that the chungungo can adapt to
different quadrants of observation in Quintay. The colors changes in its habitat (Valqui, 2012). While recogni-
indicate the spaces most used by the otters in c) summer zing that indirect and cumulative impacts, caused by
and d) fall. humans, are probably affecting this species (Delgado-
Rodríguez et al., 2006; Medina-Vogel, et al. 2007), this
study suggests that L. felina can maintain its behaviors
More time spent of diving was recorded in Quintay because it is able to change its efforts as a response to
than in Cachagua, in both seasons. The lesser time disturbances (Cursach et al., 2012; Briones-Salas et al.,
devoted to diving in Cachagua is consistent with the 2013), despite the constant pressure made by humans in
report of Villegas et al. (2007) who observed that, in an the areas where sea otters live (Medina-Vogel, et al.,
exposed environment, the duration of the dives was 2004, 2007, 2008).
smaller compared to areas with greater protection, as is
the case of Quintay. The explanation is that the energy
cost of searching for food may be lower, which would ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
allow the animals to spend more time submerged
(Houston & Carbone, 1992). In Cachagua, differences We thank Andrea Colilef, Melissa Rebolledo,
in the duration of displacement and diving between Valentina Bernal, Vania Carrera, Constanza Páez,
6127 Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research

Jaime Sepúlveda and Karina Zúñiga for their help in conaf.cl/parques/monumento-natural-isla-cachagua/].

collecting field data. This study was part of the project Reviewed: 20 May 2018.
entitled “Evaluation of the impact of tourist activity in Córdova, O., Rau, J.R., Suazo, C.G. & Arriagada, A.
populations of the chungungo (Lontra felina) in the 2009. Estudio comparativo de la ecología alimentaria
central area of Chile," financed by the fund “Los del depredador de alto nivel trófico Lontra felina
Estudiantes Primero: Hacia una mayor eficacia y (Molina, 1782) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) en Chile.
eficiencia curricular del pregrado en la UV, Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía, 44: 429-
UVA1315”. M. Sepúlveda acknowledges Núcleo 438.
Milenio INVASAL, funded by Iniciativa Científica Córdova, O. & Rau, J. 2016. Interacción entre la pesca
Milenio from Chile's Ministerio de Economía, Fomento artesanal y el depredador de alto nivel trófico Lontra
y Turismo. We would also like to give special thanks to felina en Chile. Revista de Biología Marina y
our families for their continuous support during this Oceanografía, 51(3): 621-627.
study. Cursach, J., Rau, J., Ther, F., Vilugrón, J. & Tobar, C.
2012. Sinantropía y conservación marina: el caso del
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Received: 24 May 2018; Accepted: 29 August 2018