About this Research Topic

Background

Otters are charismatic and ecologically important meso-carnivores in aquatic ecosystems. They are ideal sentinel species for the monitoring of ecosystem health, especially as they may be at higher risk for the bioaccumulation of both pathogens and contaminants. A globally beloved group, they are also excellent flagship species for conservation and are important culturally to indigenous groups as mythological figures, fishing partners, and traditional sources of fur. With fourteen extant species, only one is listed as 'least-concern', with five 'endangered', two 'vulnerable', and five 'near-threatened'. Most have been extirpated from much of their historic ranges due to hunting, habitat destruction, and environmental contaminants. While conservation and translocation efforts have had some success, many populations are still at risk. With few predators, alien invasive species, disease and anthropogenic stressors are significant determinants of population success, and ongoing monitoring of threats to individual and population health are integral to protecting these iconic species.

As mustelids, otters have high metabolic requirements and may be particularly susceptible to the energetic burden of infection, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbance. As such, even the sub-lethal effects of stressors may have significant impacts on their individual and population health. Globally, infectious disease and anthropogenic disturbance continue to be major drivers of population decline in otter species. The objective of this integrated research topic is to provide an update on threats to otter health, especially concerning infectious disease, parasitic infection, the effect of alien invasive species, and anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, set in a One Health framework to include their energetic, physiological, reproductive, behavioral, population, and community level effects.

This special feature seeks to gather conservationists, ecologists, parasitologists, microbiologists, social-scientists, and veterinarians to outline the current threats to otter health worldwide. We are looking for contributions related to parasites, infectious disease, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbance in a One Health framework that investigates the effect of these stressors in the context of individual, population, ecosystem, and human health outcomes, including sub-lethal and sub-clinical effects. We invite submissions that are well-aligned with the above, and may be related to some of the following non-exhaustive list of topics:

Case Reports (ex: novel infections and potential zoonotic pathogens)
Data Reports (ex: prevalence/intensity of parasites or pathogens in a population)
Correlative studies (ex: effects of stressors on energetic condition or population dynamics)
Literature reviews (ex: systemic search of current threats to otter health)

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: otters, parasites, pollution, One Health, disease ecology, anthropogenic disturbance

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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