Sea Otter Savvy

Sea Otter Awareness Week 2021 is here! All week we’ll be partnering with SJSU/MLML research affiliates Sea Otter Savvy to share information about these unique marine mammals. This year’s Sea Otter Awareness Week theme is Ecosystem Mosaic, which highlights the idea of the sea otter’s ecosystem as a mosaic of tiny parts in which the removal of key elements or damage to the system’s structure renders the ecological picture incomplete. This theme is celebrated in the amazing SOAW2021 logo designed by SJSU/MLML alumna Heather Barrett ’19!

Follow along on MLML social media all week for more sea otter posts and check out the Sea Otter Awareness Week 2021 Schedule to learn more.

Sea Otter Savvy, a research and educational organization and SJSU/MLML research affiliate, is hosting Sea Otter Awareness Week 2020. Held annually during the last week of September, Sea Otter Awareness Week (SOAW) is a celebration of these unique marine mammals. SOAW activities include include sharing stories, disseminating science, and generating media that inspire a deeper awareness of sea otters, their ecological importance, and the many challenges they face. The theme of this year’s SOAW is “Bridging The Gaps,” in acknowledgement of the breaches that exist in our understanding of how to keep marine ecosystems whole and resilient and how to protect vulnerable species. SOAW 2020 runs from September 20th-26th and is organized and sponsored by Sea Otter Savvy, Defenders of Wildlife, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation

You can also find the complete Sea Otter Awareness Week schedule here. Be sure to also follow Sea Otter Savvy and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories on our social media accounts linked below to make sure you don’t miss any of the SOAW activities and educational posts!

MLML Social Media

• Facebook: @mosslandingmarinelabs
• Twitter: @MLMLmarinesci
• Instagram: @mosslandingmarinelabs
• LinkedIn: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Sea Otter Savvy Social Media

• Facebook: @seaottersavvy
• Twitter: @seaottersavvy
• Instagram: @seaottersavvy

SJSU/MLML research affiliates Sea Otter Savvy would like to remind everyone to continue keeping their distance from sea otters and other wildlife as social distancing guidelines are relaxed. Sea Otter Savvy director Gena Bentall was featured in a recent video by NBC Bay Area discussing this topic.

Click here to watch the video, titled "As Coronavirus Restrictions Relax, Wildlife Still Needs Social Distancing".

We are proud to announce that Sea Otter Savvy is now officially a research affiliate of Moss Landing Marine Labs. The Sea Otter Savvy program strives to foster responsible behavior by users of the marine environment while they are viewing and recreating near sea otters. Sea Otter Savvy believes that most disturbance to sea otters is unintentional and motivated by lack of awareness. It is essential to understand the unique vulnerability and importance of sea otters in our ecosystem in order to prevent disturbance. With outreach and education, we hope to increase awareness of the importance of protecting sea otters as part of our coastal community, and inspire everyone sharing the coastal environment with sea otters to adopt responsible viewing guidelines and share them with others.