Can scientists defeat vast armies of sea urchins and re-kelp California’s North Coast? A Wild Billions story.
Tag: sea otters
Wildlife
How Surrogate Sea Otter Moms Are Helping Populations Recover
It turns out sea otters are better than people at raising sea otters. That could be useful if the U.S. government decides to reintroduce them to their historic range.
Wildlife
The Sea Otter That Stole a Surfboard in Santa Cruz Remains Free … For Now
She was born in captivity, it turns out. And she’ll only get to stay free and wild if she behaves—so humans should definitely not feed her, take selfies with her, or try to be her friend.
Field Reports
To Count Seabirds From Above, Fly Slowly And Pack a Big Lens
Aerial wildlife surveys, conducted by the USGS to inform the coming offshore wind energy boom, are strikingly beautiful, for government data. They were also hard-won.
The Ocean
People Should Physically Distance from Sea Otters, Too
Kayakers and boaters approaching too closely could be leading some sea otters to starve, scientists say.
Winter Issue 2017
Sea Otter Adoptees Born in Elkhorn Slough
A surrogate sea otter program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has helped grow the wild otter population in Elkhorn Slough.
Wildlife
Sea Otters Face Dual Threat of Sharks and Algae
It’s safe to say that most Californians harbor a soft spot for sea otters. So two bleak reports this past month concerning the fate of the southern sea otter were met with much dismay. One group of scientists documented a fresh-water toxin that’s killing otters downstream, while another found a marked increase in otters killed by sharks.
Summer Issue 2009
Naturalist’s Notebook: A Worm Ties Together Crabs, Otters and Scoters
Find out how a little worm ties together the lives, and deaths, of several ocean animals, from sea otters to surf scoters to common sand crabs.
Summer Issue 2007
Otters at Elkhorn Slough
At the Moss Landing Marina halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey, I slip into a kayak and paddle toward Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s largest tidal salt marshes. Just beyond the mouth of the slough, Monterey Canyon reaches seaward for … Read more
Summer Issue 2003
Eye to Eye with Otters
Dubbed the cosmic center of the universe by locals, Elkhorn Slough is one of the richest wetlands along the California coast, a magnet for wildlife and humans alike. And the best way to see it all is in a kayak.
