Supervisor Lynda Hopkins to cohost sea otter awareness event on September 12

The public is invited to attend an event on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Doran Beach to learn more about sea otters and our local marine ecosystem. The event, cosponsored by Sea Otter Savvy and Supervisorial District 5, will include a sea otter sand sculpture competition.

The Sea Otters Were Here event will feature interactive booths from local science organizations, businesses, and community groups including Sea Otter Savvy, The Marine Mammal Center, Marine Conservation Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, local fishermen and more. Visitors will learn about the history of sea otters in northern California and their connection to resilient coastal ecosystems.

“Fun educational events such as these provide the public opportunities to learn about potential sea otter reintroduction,” said Supervisor Hopkins, whose district includes Bodega Bay. “A return of sea otters could help restore the natural balance of our coastal waters while giving future generations the chance to experience a species that once played such an important role here.”

Sea otters once thrived on the Sonoma Coast until the maritime fur trade nearly drove California’s sea otter population to extinction. Today, their population remains confined to Central California, leaving northern California’s coast without this keystone species. Sea otters play a vital role in coastal biodiversity—by preying on sea urchins and other grazers, they help kelp forests and seagrass meadows thrive, supporting a rich web of marine life.

Sea Otter Savvy, the event cosponsor, is a nonprofit formed as a result of collaborative efforts by Southern Sea Otter Research Alliance members from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information on Sea Otter Savvy, please visit their webpage.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-3040