Today, the designated 5,855 square miles of nearshore waters in Alaska as critical habitats for the threatened sea otter, writes . The areas along the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and Alaskan Peninsula will be protected by a court order that resulted from a lawsuit against the Service by the . The designation is a major victory for the Center, which petitioned the Service in 2000 to have sea otters be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Two lawsuits followed in the next five years.
— Lisa Lombardi