Sea otters aren't just "otter-ly" cute, they also are an important keystone species missing from the Oregon Coast. Their absence has allowed sea urchins to multiply unchecked, which has in turn left many of our kelp forests decimated. But reintroducing sea otters to Oregon's coast isn't without its challenges. For one thing, there's nothing to keep them from swimming away (which has happened in the past)!
While previous introduction attempts have failed, those failures have given insight into how things might be done differently today. Meet Bob Bailey. He's the president of Elakha Alliance, a group working to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon Coast. We'll talk all about sea otters - where they once lived on the coast, their importance as a keystone species, and how the Elakha Alliance plans to bring them back to Oregon.
11-02-2022