| Summary: | This dataset is composed of counts of the number of pits that were dug by sea otters, as well as a qualitative assessment of the primary and secondary sediment grain size. The number of pits and sediment grain size were quantified at intertidal sites that included eelgrass beds, in which three 100-m transects were placed: within the eelgrass bed, along the edge of the eelgrass bed, and outside the eelgrass bed. Collections were conducted at 21 sites in Southeast Alaska on Prince of Wales Island. These data directly compliment clamshell litter data for which the cause of death for clams was estimated using shell forensics. These data were collected to compliment a larger, interdisciplinary project called APECS (Apex predators, Ecosystems, and Community Sustainability), the focus of which investigated the role that sea otters have on seagrass habitats, their ecological function, and influences on traditional and subsistence harvest of specified marine organisms.
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