Story Outline

Sea Otter Census Shows Big Population Jump From a news story by San Francisco KPIX CBS 5 News Reporter Tony Russomanno September 2003

I. The sea otter count is up along the California coast this year.

A. During the annual spring count, researchers looked for sea otters up and down the California coast .
B. This year's count of 2505 otters is higher than any since 1983.
C. It's up 17% from last year.

II. Scientists are skeptical as to the meaning of the count.

A. One of the leaders of the count doesn't believe the population is increasing.
B. Observation conditions may have been above average this year.
C. More otters might have moved into Monterey Bay due to a harsh early winter and increased food supply there.
D. An average of the last three years doesn't indicate a population increase.

III. The high count could provide the answer to a mystery.

A. In April, a remarkable number of dead and dying otters were found around Monterey Bay.
B. A disease carried by cat feces was suspected.
C. A simpler explanation is that more live otters result in more dead otters.

IV. Future counts will show whether the otter population is really growing.

A. Before they were hunted to extinction, scientists believe the California sea otter population was between 18, 000 and 20,000.
B. In the mid-1990s, the population began dropping again..
C. If the count continues to increase over the next couple years, scientists will be convinced the population is now growing.