Sea Otter Awareness Week Free Public Talks

If I Only Had A Hammer: Tool Use by Sea Otters Jessica Perry, Research Biologist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program • Sea otters are well known for being capable of using tools in the wild. However, little is known about how this behavior varies across individuals and populations and what factors may influence those differences. Perry will discuss patterns of tool use observed in Californian and Alaskan sea otters, and what those patterns may tell us about why sea otters use tools and how sea otters learn new skills.

The Land Sea Connection: What Southern Sea Otters Can Tell Us about Coastal Health Stori Oates, Staff Resource Associate II, Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis and Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center, California Department of Fish and Game • When sea otters swim and feed in areas close to freshwater outflows such as coastal rivers, they are at greater risk of exposure to harmful bacteria and parasites flowing downstream. Using sea otters as an indicator of coastal ocean health, Oates will discuss some of the sources of bacterial pollution flowing from land to the Monterey Bay.