Where are Oregon’s sea otters?

Sea otters are some of the cutest, most charismatic critters on our planet. but they’re not just cute. They’re close to the top of the food chain in the coastal areas they inhabit and serve an important role in keeping ecosystems, including kelp forests, in balance. Sadly, otters have disappeared from many of the places they’ve historically called home along the Pacific Coast, like Oregon. 

The Fur Trade

Up until the late 1800’s, sea otters could be found from Alaska all the way down to Southern California and the Baja Peninsula. During the Fur Trade, sea otters were hunted to extinction for their luscious fur (the thickest of any animal) in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.

During the latter part of the 1900’s, sea otters were reintroduced to the Evergreen and Beaver States. In Washington, the reintroduced otters survived over the years and a sustainable population still exists today. Unfortunately for Oregon’s otters, they disappeared entirely about a decade after their reintroduction.

Kelp conundrum

Without Oregon’s otters, the ecosystems that rely on them – primarily kelp forests – are suffering. In recent decades, a lack of these marine mammals contributed to a boom in purple sea urchins (a sea otter’s favorite snack), which have in turn mowed down kelp forests. New research in Oregon suggests almost 70% of our kelp forests have disappeared, and that’s a problem for our ocean.

Kelp forests are an aquatic algae that provide the habitat and hunting ground for countless marine species – from gray whales all the way down to plankton. Also, as underwater forests, their very existence acts as a barrier against strong waves and wave energy – which helps mitigate coastal erosion. They also store carbon,  making them (and thus sea otters) essential in our fight against climate change.

If we don’t act soon, we risk losing our kelp forests entirely and if we’re going to save them, bringing back sea otters must be part of the solution. 

Bringing sea otters back

In 2022, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released a feasibility study which found that it would be possible to reintroduce sea otters to Oregon (again) and a movement amongst Oregonian’s is building to bring them back. We’ve had conversations with hundreds of concerned citizens, students and legislators and from those conversations it’s clear people want to see otters back in the water. 

Reintroduction would help restore our kelp forests and ecological balance by cutting down on the number of purple sea urchins and help ensure a healthier, more biodiverse future for Oregon’s ocean.

Join us in calling on the USFWS to bring them back to Oregon.