Rooted in Resilience: Sea Otter Awareness Week Returns for its 24th Year

Sea otters keep Pacific coastal ecosystems in balance. Join in the annual celebration of sea otters during the 24th annual Sea Otter Awareness Week (Sept. 20-26). This year’s theme, “Rooted in Resilience,” will bring communities closer to sea otters and sea otter conservation.

Sea Otter Awareness Week is sponsored and organized by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elakha Alliance and The Marine Mammal Center. Learn more about sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week at upcoming in-person and virtual events in California and Oregon.

“These small creatures play a wondrous role in protecting nearshore ecosystems, and that’s part of the reason we celebrate them each year,” said Andy Johnson, California representative with Defenders. “Despite the bureaucratic attacks and corporate greed that threaten California’s coastlines, we remain hopeful that we will reintroduce sea otters into areas where they can help restore vital habitats and inspire a stronger ethic for human-wildlife coexistence.”  

Today, sea otter populations continue to recover from centuries of devastating fur trade impacts. Every sea otter alive today is a descendant of the few who survived in remnant colonies around the Pacific Rim when international protections took effect in 1911. Resilience is quite literally at the root of this keystone species’ recovery.

“Sea otters have shown extraordinary resilience, but their recovery depends on more than their own ability to adapt and survive,” said Gena Bentall, Executive Director, Senior Scientist, and Founder, Sea Otter Savvy. “It also depends on us—on coastal communities choosing to make space for wildlife and becoming active partners in recovery. Sea Otter Awareness Week is an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come and recognize the role each of us can play in helping sea otters thrive into the future.”

In the United States, there are two species of sea otters: the northern sea otter and the southern sea otter. Despite progress, sea otters still face risks from oil spills, climate change, habitat degradation, pollution and limited range expansion. The southern sea otter and a distinct population segment of northern sea otters in southwest Alaska are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act due to low numbers and ongoing population threats.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about sea otters and their recovery in the wild, please fill out the sea otter recovery survey.