Sinantropía y conservación marina: el caso del chungungo Lontra felina en el sur de Chile

We describe the synanthropic behavior of Lontra felina along its geographic distribution. The marine otter used fishing ports infrastructure for shelter and food. It forages on the remains of fish discarded by fishermen. Identified threats to the conservation of this species in synanthropy include incidental mortality in fisheries and persecution by domestic animals. The opportunities are creating niche food and shelter, which favor the permanence and population growth. Finally, we identify the important variables to consider in future studies on synanthropy of this marine mammal in the socio­ecological systems.