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Monterey Bay Aquarium
@montereyaq.bsky.social
How do you do, fellow squids? 🌊 We're your frondly Aquarium with a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean. www.montereybayaquarium.org
77.8k followers21 following266 posts
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

We’re tuckered out from another pawsome Sea Otter Awareness Week! 🦦💤 Loved what you learned about otters all week with our otterly adorable sea furball content? Please consider donating to the Aquarium via the link here: mbayaq.co/4gvMWOe

A sea otter laying on a green enrichment tool with eyes closed resting and paws raised in the air
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

The lower third of panel four focuses on the rocky and sandy formation of the sea floor, covered in purple sea urchins. The text on the image reads sea urchins have big appetites, too, with kelp being one of their favorite go-to snacks! When sea otters keep urchin populations in check, they can prevent the towering underwater forests from vanishing.
A long stalk of golden kelp covers the right side of the image against the illustrated blue and green hues of the ocean floor background. The text on the image reads thousands of fishes, birds, and other animals depend on healthy kelp forests for their survival. A healthy kelp forest may also help buffer coastlines from strong storms.
The final panel of the comic has the same diagram of sea otter, sea urchin, and kelp forest as the first slide. The text in the lower left corner of the image reads as a keystone species, sea otters help maintain the balance between urchins and kelp through this trophic cascade.
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

It's giving balanced ecosystem vibes. Very mindful, very demure, and cutesy. 🦦 ✨ A healthy sea otter population sustains and protects a thriving kelp forest ecosystem.

In the first panel of this webcomic, against a blue and green seafloor backdrop, a diagram illustrates the relationship between sea otters, urchins and kelp. The text at the lower left corner of the image reads sea otters and the kelp forest: a trophic cascade.
Panel two of the comic shows a zoomed in illustration of a golden stalk of kelp on the right hand side of the image. A few sea urchins have covered the rock and the sandy formation of the sea floor. The text on the image reads what’s a trophic cascade? It’s the ripple effect top predators have on their prey and other species in the food chain.
Panel three looks very similar to panel two, except that instead of the golden stalk of kelp, the lower right hand corner of the image has the illustration of a playful sea otter. The text on the image reads let’s start with sea otters. They have big appetites and need to eat about a quarter of their body weight each day! Sea urchins are some of their favorite foods. But urchin snacking does more than fill otter bellies.
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

A kelp forest, the leaves are green and float through the ocean. The text on the image reads: Despite protection efforts, obstacles still limit the repopulation of this keystone species leaving other ocean habitats without their vital ecosystem roles.
A raft of sea otters floating in the ocean surrounded by kelp beds. The text on the image reads: So, next time you see these ocean protectors while out kayaking, be sure to respect their space, they’re replenishing their energy levels and resting for a reason!
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

Hungry for more? Shellebrate Sea Otter Awareness Week with us all week long!

A sea otter sitting on the beach staring out into the distance. The text on the image reads: How quickly they can find that amount of food tells us a lot about their environment.
A sea otter floating in the water eating some food and looking up towards the sky. The text on the image reads: This research also found that this population hasn't expanded beyond its current range in 20 years (only inhabiting 13% of its historical range).
A sea otter poking out of the ocean at the surface. A bed of kelp surrounds the otter as it looks into the distance. The text on the image reads: Although there are fewer sea otters at Año Nuevo than in Monterey Bay…
A raft of sea otters floating in kelp beds in the water. The text on the image reads: they still have to work hard to find their food even with less competition due to a lower number of otters.
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

How much would you have to eat to match a sea otter's diet? 🦦 🤔 There’s a new study we co-authored examining the otters’ foraging habits and caloric consumption of southern sea otters in California. Sea the post to discover how much energy sea otters spend in a day to survive!

A beach with a blue ocean, rocks lining the beach, and mountains in the distance. The text on image reads: There's a population of sea otters in Año Nuevo, CA. A recent study looked at their diet and foraging habits. Here’s what they found…
A sea otter with her pup laying on her stomach as they float among a bed of yellow and green kelp. The text on the image reads: Sea otters burn a lot of energy daily searching for food, staying warm, and raising their pups.
Three sea otters floating in the ocean with their paws above the water. The text on the image reads: At Año Nuevo, sea otters can consume ~9.5 kilocalories/min. and spend ~9 hours/day foraging to meet their caloric needs.
A person holding a pepperoni pizza, another slice is pictured in the pizza box and one in the distance on a plate. The text on the image reads: For a human to match this energy demand (assuming a 2,000 kilocalorie diet), we’d need to eat one slice of pepperoni pizza every hour of the day!
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

Sea otters have a superpower—an insatiable appetite! 🦦 These fluffy foodies are keystone species, keeping kelp forests healthy by munching on sea urchins. See how their endless hunger helps balance ocean ecosystems in the latest episode of Word of the Bay! mbayaq.co/4dljOXu

Southern sea otter floating on its back munching on a crab
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

With stacks of towels for grooming, sturdy bite-proof gloves to handle those curious paws, we’re ready for anything. Otter care is searious business—but it shore comes with some fun perks!

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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

Behind the scenes of sea otter care, our gear is as unique as the otters themselves! From donning a Darth Vader-esque disguise (yes, really!) to using baby bottles for feeding our rescued pups, it takes more than meets the eye to keep these fluffs happy and healthy.

Rescued sea otter pup floats on its back in a rehabilitation pool as a member of the Sea Otter Program team, dressed in a Darth Vadar like disguise (with a black cloak and a welding mask), hands the pup food.
Rescued sea otter pup sits on a grate in the rehabilitation area being groomed with a towel by a Sea Otter Program team member dressed in a Darth Vadar-like disguise (with a black cloak and a welding mask).
Rescued sea otter pup held by a member of the Sea Otter Program dressed in a Darth Vadar-like disguise (with a black cloak and a welding mask) bottle feeds the pup as it holds the end of the bottle.
Sea otter pup lays on back looking straight on, is held by a member of the Sea Otter Program who holds a baby bottle in their green-gloved hands.
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MBmontereyaq.bsky.social

We have some otterly exciting news! We're expanding our sea otter surrogacy efforts by opening a new sea otter rehabilitation facility to help us continue our ongoing recovery of this threatened species! 🦦 To read more about our sea otter surrogacy program, visit the link: mbayaq.co/4dguZAy

Surrogate sea otter protects and holds a rescued pup as part of the Sea Otter Rescue program. Two other sea otters also group around the pup with their heads popping out of the water and staring at the camera.
View of the Sea Otter Rehabilitation Facility in construction. Two large, gray tanks are shown with pipes below running from the tanks.
View of the concrete tank rebar in progress of construction at the Sea Otter Rehabilitation Facility. Orange and green construction materials line the gray concrete tank.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium
@montereyaq.bsky.social
How do you do, fellow squids? 🌊 We're your frondly Aquarium with a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean. www.montereybayaquarium.org
77.8k followers21 following266 posts
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