August 2016 Â©2016, Greater Houston Partnership Page 1. Energy Still Weak â West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. benchmark for light sweet. crude, briefly reached $50 per barrel in early June, sparking hope for a prolonged price recov-. ery. Since then, prices have settled in the low- to mid-$40s, reflecting concern about oversup-. ply.
The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean.Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (31 and 99 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals.he sea otter inhabits offshore environments, where it dives to the sea floor to forage. It preys mostly on marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various molluscs and crustaceans, and some species of fish.
Sea otters in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary are descendants of otters translocated from Alaska in 1969 and 1970. Modern efforts in sea otter conservation began in the early 19th century, when the sea otter was nearly extinct due to large-scale commercial hunting. The sea otter was once abundant in a wide arc across the North Pacific ocean, from northern Japan to Alaska to Mexico. By 1911, hunting for the animal's luxurious fur had reduced the sea otter population to fewer than 2000 individuals in the most remote and inaccessible parts of its range. During the 20th century, sea otter populations recovered from remnant populations in the far east of Russia, western Alaska, and California.