Technology
Showcasing Otter-ly amazing aquatic engineers with Chanel Hason
In this episode of ReWild in the World, host Ben Goldsmith speaks with Chanel Haysen from the Elacar Alliance about the critical role of sea otters as keystone species in marine ecosystems. They discu...
Showcasing Otter-ly amazing aquatic engineers with Chanel Hason
Technology •
0:00 / 0:00
Interactive Transcript
spk_0
Theodders are the best long-term solution for the health of the ecosystem and resiliency
spk_0
off of the coast as a Keystone species.
spk_0
Welcome to another episode of ReWild in the World. I'm Ben Goldsmith and I'm here with Chanel
spk_0
Haysen from the Elacar Alliance in Oregon, the West Coast, with the United States.
spk_0
Chanel is working towards the reintroduction of sea otters in her part of the Western American
spk_0
Coast. This is one of the great rewilding stories because sea otters are vital to the health of the
spk_0
massive kelp forests that once existed around the Pacific Rim. They eat the urchins which destroy
spk_0
the forest. So when the sea otters were hunted out to the brink of extinction, the kelp forest
spk_0
went with them. And then what was noticed was that as sea otters recovered, particularly in Alaska,
spk_0
the kelp forests began to grow back. So this is a bit like the wolves in Yellowstone or the
spk_0
charge on efforts to bring this species back. Chanel, thank you so much for taking the time
spk_0
to join me today. Thanks for having me. I'm very excited to be here.
spk_0
Chanel, let's start with the sea otters themselves. Why are sea otters just so special and so
spk_0
important in the ecosystem? Sea otters are a fascinating marine mammal. Well firstly they are the
spk_0
smallest marine mammal but they're the largest in the muscle-aided their family. So they are the
spk_0
heaviest of all the weasels in their family. And they are just ecosystem engineers, a keystone species,
spk_0
they help keep the balance in the ecosystem for kelp forests and we know now eel grass beds
spk_0
and estuaries as well. They eat a quarter of their body weight a day. They have the densest
spk_0
ferv any animal in the whole entire world. And also they're just so darn cute. You know, I'm not
spk_0
going to go past that. Everybody loves watching them at zoos or aquariums or out in the wild off
spk_0
of the coast of California, Alaska, British Columbia. Yeah, we've all seen those incredibly charming
spk_0
images of sea otter mothers lying on their backs floating with the babies resting on their
spk_0
bellies. And also large platforms of groups of these sea otters kind of holding hands. Is that what
spk_0
they do when they sleep? So it's not like a huge trait for sea otters to hold hands in the wild,
spk_0
although that's, you know, one of the number one things kids and adults tell me is their favorite.
spk_0
Fun fact about sea otters. So I won't totally debunk it. But it's not super common. But sometimes
spk_0
they do hold hands to not drift apart from each other. But they can be solitary as well as being
spk_0
in floating rafts usually determined by sex. So floating rafts of females and males together.
spk_0
And usually males are some of the solitary ones who go off and look for other rafts of females to
spk_0
find friends and future mothers with. Quite often people will tell me that they've been up to the
spk_0
western coast of Scotland here in Great Britain and they say they've seen sea otters. And of
spk_0
course they haven't seen sea otters. What they've seen are Eurasian otters that have adapted
spk_0
themselves to live along the coast. So what's the big difference between the Eurasian otters that
spk_0
you might find living on the west coast of Scotland and the sea otters that live along the
spk_0
western sea board of North America? Yeah. So sea otters are the only
spk_0
must-a-ladied that lives 99% of their entire lives in the water. So they're not semi-aquatic. They're
spk_0
fully aquatic. So they live their entire lives floating on their backs in the ocean, hunting,
spk_0
eating, sleeping, everything you name it. They do while in the ocean. Every other otter species
spk_0
is semi-aquatic. So they den on land, they live on land. But sometimes they do swim and forage
spk_0
in rivers, lakes and the ocean as well. So that's kind of the biggest key difference.
spk_0
And tell me please a bit, Chanel, about the ecological importance specifically relating to
spk_0
the kelp forests. There's a restoration effort here in Great Britain of the South Coast,
spk_0
of the County of Sussex, to restore kelp forests that have been long-lost. I mean these have been
spk_0
destroyed a century or more ago and there's an incredibly exciting recovery taking place.
spk_0
But the really big kelp forests and the ones that loom large in our imagination are the ones that
spk_0
are along your coast. And they're completely dependent upon the activities of sea otters. Can you
spk_0
tell me that rewilding story? Yeah. So kelp forests, if you're not familiar, can it be forming kelp
spk_0
like giant kelp and bull kelp off of our west coast here in the US? It's a large brown macro algae.
spk_0
So it's a huge algae that can grow one to two feet a day, and dependent on sunlight. So it uses
spk_0
photosynthesis. So when it becomes a baby kelp, it starts to grow and it wants to get to the top of
spk_0
the surface of the ocean, sometimes over 200 feet tall they can get. So think of these beautiful
spk_0
underwater forests. So they're basically like the underwater trees of the ocean. And so they provide
spk_0
home and structure for thousands of species. So from tiny larvae to large megafauna like gray whales
spk_0
depend on these kelp forests for their food. And so sea otters, their role in the kelp forest ecosystem
spk_0
is that they keep balance of urchins. So the tiny little spiky invertebrates that like to eat algae,
spk_0
so they eat the actual kelp itself. And so when these sea urchins are left without a predator,
spk_0
they overpopulate. And then they basically chow down on the kelp forests themselves. And then
spk_0
that is super detrimental for that ecosystem and habitat for all the other thousands of species
spk_0
that depend on it. So sea otters help keep that balance. So as a keystone species, it means they
spk_0
disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance. So a handful of
spk_0
sea otters out in the kelp forests has a really huge impact on the resiliency and biodiversity of
spk_0
that ecosystem. How does a kelp plant grow from 200 feet down in the ocean? Is there any light at
spk_0
200 feet? So kelp is not a plant. It's an algae, which a lot of people think because it kind of
spk_0
looks like a plant, right? They have sporophytes in the blades that go down. And then a baby kelp
spk_0
is looking for a rocky hard substrate. So you can still see some light at 200 feet. And then it
spk_0
just knows to grow straight up towards that light. And yeah, bull kelp grows about a foot a day
spk_0
and giant kelp grows about two feet a day. So that's the largest and fastest macro algae on the
spk_0
planet. And these kelp forests ubiquitous or were once ubiquitous along the entirety of the
spk_0
Pacific Rim, how far south, how far north were they all the way around as far as Japan?
spk_0
Yeah, so sea otter native habitats. So their historical range was from Baja, California,
spk_0
Mexico up the entire west coast of the United States through British Columbia, Alaska all the way
spk_0
over to Japan and Russia. And that coincides with the range of the kelp forest.
spk_0
And also the other species that I read about that no longer exists, of course, is Stella's sea
spk_0
cow. Do you know anything about that species? I find it completely fascinating. The idea that
spk_0
there was this massive cold water do-gong, bobbing about, you know, slow moving, eating the kelp,
spk_0
and presumably a keystone species itself. And then of course, that was easy to hunt. And so it
spk_0
was hunted out very early on after European settlement of North America and now they're gone.
spk_0
Yes, so those sea cows would be fascinating to still have on our planet. But they were also
spk_0
a keystone species helping regulate the kelp forest ecosystem. I'm not an expert on them,
spk_0
but I do know that they were hunted out, yes, as you said, because one, they are slow moving.
spk_0
And they provided a lot of food for a lot of the fishermen, especially during the start of the
spk_0
maritime fur trade, which is when they were pretty much extropated completely off the planet.
spk_0
By that time, they were probably already much diminished because they've most likely been
spk_0
hunted by native Americans for millennia before then. And being easy to hunt, they just
spk_0
disappeared. We'll never know how many there might have been, but it's quite possible that
spk_0
there would have been great groupings of these all around the Pacific Rim, coinciding exactly
spk_0
with the range of the sea otter, which then followed a similar pathway because the fur was so valuable.
spk_0
So at what point did European arrivals in North America find the sea otter, recognize its value,
spk_0
and obliterate its numbers? The maritime fur trade started in about the 1760s, and so that began when
spk_0
China found sea otter pelt really valuable. And so Russian American and Spanish mariners came to
spk_0
the west coast of the United States. What is now the United States to hunt sea otter pelt?
spk_0
Sea otters were from Baja Mexico all the way up the west coast of the US through Alaska,
spk_0
British Columbia. And so about 200 years, so by the early 1900s, 99% of the global population of
spk_0
sea otters were completely diminished. And thankfully, 1% did survive.
spk_0
And so where did that 1% survive?
spk_0
So yes, thankfully, 1% of sea otters did survive. There was a tiny population off the coast of
spk_0
California in Big Sur, about 50. That kind of found a little cove and hit away. And then there
spk_0
were several about 10 or so remnant populations off the coast of the Alaska and the Lutian islands
spk_0
that survived. So at some stage, people must have decided that this animal was about to disappear and
spk_0
then protection was then put in place. How did that come about and when?
spk_0
So in 1911, there was the North Pacific First Seal Convention and they decided there to
spk_0
stop the harvest and trade of first seals and that also included sea otters. And then in 1972,
spk_0
there was the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protected also the hunting and harvesting of
spk_0
marine mammals. And so there's been a lot of conservation and protection of these marine
spk_0
mammals because a lot of human activity is causing their decline.
spk_0
And so hydromatic was the recovery because often when you put protection on a species,
spk_0
numbers just explode and beaver recovery, for example, has been absolutely phenomenal in Europe,
spk_0
partly because of deliberate reintroductions. I know we're going to talk about reintroductions
spk_0
of sea otters in a minute, but how quickly did that happen and where did it happen and what
spk_0
point can we say that the species has recovered anywhere in its range?
spk_0
This episode of rewilding the world is very kindly brought to you by Uni, that's Uni,
spk_0
the world's first nature-friendly line of luxury body care. We've all heard about the harm that
spk_0
suncream does to coral reefs, but it's not just suncream and it's not just coral reefs. Well,
spk_0
Uni makes plastic-free, nature-friendly essentials like shampoo, conditioner, hand wash, and even
spk_0
natural deodorant, all full of nourishing ingredients such as seaweed kelp, aloe vera and olive oil.
spk_0
We've been loving our Uni products, but don't take it from me, here's my wife, Jemima.
spk_0
Yes, I really love them. They're such clean and nourishing products. The micro-algae body oil is
spk_0
so good and really smells amazing. You can find Uni products at SpaceNK or at weareuni.com.
spk_0
So sea otters, we talked about their native range, and right now there are two sub species of sea otters,
spk_0
or there's three sub species. There's the southern, which are the sea otters based off of the
spk_0
coast of California, that came from that surviving 50 from the fur trade, and now there's about 3000.
spk_0
And that population is stunted in growth because it can't expand naturally. We'll get to that later.
spk_0
And then northern sea otters are all in above California, so Washington,
spk_0
British Columbia, and Alaska, and there's over 90,000 of those sea otters in total, so they are
spk_0
doing great genetically diverse. Could we say on that second population that they've achieved the
spk_0
pre-hunting numbers? There's no historical count of sea otters before they were hunted, so I technically
spk_0
don't know. We only have estimates, but Alaska is the most pristine habitat for sea otters to grow
spk_0
and expand because it's just a long linear coastline of their perfect habitat, and so that's where 90
spk_0
percent of the global population of sea otters are. So I'm guessing they're probably
spk_0
add around historical numbers there, and then the third sub species is the Asian
spk_0
sea otter, which is off the coast of Japan and Russia. How is that third sub species of sea otters
spk_0
doing around Japan and Russia? Japan has a very minimal amount around 50 sea otters living off
spk_0
of eastern Hokkaido, so that is a small amount compared to historical numbers, and Russia has about
spk_0
18,000 to 20,000 currently. So there's pretty dramatic recovery of this species in Russia,
spk_0
and also in the northern part of its North American range, especially Alaska, and that's when it gets
spk_0
interesting, because that's when stories start emerging of the recovery of the kelp forests,
spk_0
and I don't think people had drawn any insights previously into why the kelp forest was degraded,
spk_0
and the coast being eroded, and suddenly the sea otter returns, and the kelp starts to grow back.
spk_0
Can you tell me a little bit about that story? So as we talked about sea otters are
spk_0
historically a keystone species for kelp forests, thanks to the work of Dr. Jim Estes, who did some
spk_0
research off of the Alaskan islands, the Aleutian islands, and realized that when there was an
spk_0
ecosystem without sea otters, the sea urchin population took over, and so they helped keep that balance.
spk_0
And so right now, a lot of northern California and Oregon are in a crisis right now with our
spk_0
kelp forest ecosystems being out of balance. So we are missing the keystone species, the sea otter,
spk_0
and then also there was another species that was helping the urchin population stay in check,
spk_0
and that was the sunflower sea star picnopodia, the scientific name. And so unfortunately,
spk_0
a sea star wasting disease, which they just discovered took about a decade to figure out what was
spk_0
basically turning sea stars into mush, and it was a bacterium. But anyway, I digress, and so we
spk_0
have an ecosystem without these two predators, and then sea urchins are, you know, a species that
spk_0
just doesn't die, it can live for over a year without ever eating anything, it can slow down
spk_0
its metabolism. So think of just looking down into the ocean on the sea floor and seeing a purple carpet
spk_0
of these spiny things, just waiting for something to fall down for them to eat.
spk_0
So does that mean there's no kelp left at all? How degraded are the kelp forests of the west coast
spk_0
where the sea otters and now the sea stars are no longer present?
spk_0
So for, I can speak for Oregon, there was a Oregon kelp analysis, and they said over the last decade,
spk_0
or so about 75% of our kelp forests are no longer there. So although we do have still some healthy
spk_0
viable kelp forests off the Oregon coast, it's just not as much historically as they're once was.
spk_0
So there still is kelp here on our coast to do a sea otter reintroduction based on a scientific
spk_0
feasibility assessment, the Alaka Alliance produced, and also one that US Fish and Wildlife Service
spk_0
also produced in 2022. How vital is the kelp for people? For example, protecting coastlines against
spk_0
erosion, storm surges, or for any other reason? Two really great points. So having kelp forests
spk_0
off the coast help lessen storm surges, which helps decrease coastal erosion. It's a great place
spk_0
for dispersal of larvae for a multitude of species. Also kelp forests are a huge biodiversity hot
spk_0
spot. It's one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the entire planet, and also about
spk_0
50% of our oxygen comes from the oceans, and about 25% of that comes from algae in our oceans. So
spk_0
every time you breathe in, no matter if you're close to the coast or not, you should thank the ocean
spk_0
and kelp forests for the oxygen that you're breathing. So let's come to you, Chanel, and your
spk_0
efforts with the Alaka Alliance to restore sea otters to your state, which is Oregon. How did you
spk_0
come to this? You're a marine biologist. Where did you grow up? How did you fall in love with the
spk_0
ocean? And how did you come to this particular campaign? I went to sea world in San Diego, California
spk_0
when I was a young and about five years old and fell in love with all those marine mammals,
spk_0
Megafonna there, and wanted to be a marine mammal trainer and a marine biologist. And so I stayed
spk_0
on that track until college and went to school at California State University Monor A. Bay and
spk_0
studied marine and coastal ecology and studied abroad in Australia for a year because I wanted to
spk_0
go diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and I did research out there on a beautiful island in the middle
spk_0
of the Great Barrier Reef, which was one of my most favorite activities ever. And then came back,
spk_0
graduated, couldn't find a job in my field, had some odd jobs, and then ended up as an international
spk_0
scuba diving beauty queen for the United States, which is a fun, fun fact for all. And so I went to
spk_0
Malaysia, represented the US, won three titles, which is not bad for the only marine biologists and
spk_0
rescue diver there, and then moved to Puerto Rico for a year and worked for Jean-Michel Cousteau
spk_0
as an eco-tour guide naturalist. And then wanted to get into education because I really love
spk_0
teaching people about the ocean. So I moved to Portland, Oregon, 2016 to get my master's degree
spk_0
in sustainability education, and then started working for the Alaka Alliance,
spk_0
as director of outreach and community relations shortly after that. So I've been in this position
spk_0
for a little over four years, and I am the first ever employee of our non-profit. So Gold Star
spk_0
for me. That is just a fantastic story, Chanel, and congratulations on all of that. And thank god
spk_0
you're fighting this battle. So tell me about the Alaka Alliance, where you are the first employee.
spk_0
So Alaka is a Chinook native word for sea otter. We were an idea from the late David Hatch, who is a
spk_0
Celetz Indian tribal member, and he was naming a boat he was building with his son Peter and came
spk_0
across the word in a Chinook trade jargon dictionary, and was like, huh, why don't we have sea otters in
spk_0
Oregon anymore? And so that led to decades of involving a lot of researchers and educators and
spk_0
scientists trying to figure out how to bring sea otters back and also talking to several other
spk_0
tribes here on the coast in Oregon to do a reintroduction and bring them back to their native waters.
spk_0
And unfortunately, he passed away unexpectedly in 2016, but his mission and his drive and his passion
spk_0
to restore sea otters in Oregon lives on through our board of directors, and we became an official
spk_0
non-profit in 2020. And I was hired shortly after that. And now we're a mighty staff of four
spk_0
full-time employees. But I think we've made a lot of progress for, you know, our small size over
spk_0
the last, you know, five years or so now that we published a scientific feasibility study in 2022.
spk_0
We're really grounded in getting the science right and doing advocacy.
spk_0
I've never understood why it's so hard to get species reintroductions done. You know, here in Great
spk_0
Britain, there's just a wall of kind of bureaucratic and institutional opposition to even the most
spk_0
modest proposals to restore like pool frogs to Norfolk or harvest mice to Cornwall. There are
spk_0
always reasons by security or threats to agriculture. In fact, fun fact for you, pretty much every single
spk_0
wild living beaver in Great Britain is there as a result of non-permitted otherwise illegal
spk_0
releases. And that's true also of Portugal, Spain, many of the releases in France, Belgium,
spk_0
Netherlands, Italy. People have just gone on a beaver bomb derivates because of the frustration with
spk_0
the system. So when you talk about the importance of sea otters and the fact that these kelp forests
spk_0
will burst back to life if we bring the sea otters back to the coastline. And with all the benefits
spk_0
that brings to marine fisheries, to coastal erosion and all these other things and not to mention
spk_0
just the sheer joy of having these remarkable creatures back along the coastline, you'd have
spk_0
thought that the authorities supported by the public would just get on it and do it. And yet the
spk_0
Alacro Alliance has been beavering away for ages and ages, years and years and there is opposition.
spk_0
Can you try to explain to me where does this opposition come from? Who wouldn't want sea otters
spk_0
back along the coast? Why hasn't it been done already? Yeah, so sea otter reintroduction has been
spk_0
done before. So in the 1969-70 there was the US government was going to do some nuclear testing
spk_0
off of Amtica Island in Alaska. And scientists were like, wait a minute, there's a huge population
spk_0
of sea otters here. What are you going to do? And they're like, I don't know, figured out. Here's
spk_0
some money and we'll let you do it. So they kind of had to work quickly without too much planning
spk_0
and capture as many sea otters as they can. And they really send off of British Columbia, Alaska,
spk_0
Washington and Oregon. And unfortunately the Oregon population reintroduction was not successful,
spk_0
but they did survive for over a decade and reproduce. But eventually they all disappeared and they
spk_0
think that that just happened because they didn't reintroduce enough sea otters to withstand
spk_0
natural immigration and mortality rates. Did the other reintroductions at that time work out? Yes,
spk_0
all the other reintroductions were successful. So that is why we have sea otters off the coast of
spk_0
Washington and British Columbia today. In growing numbers? Yes. So there's about 3000 now off of
spk_0
the Washington coast. I can't remember the exact numbers of British Columbia, but they are all
spk_0
stable and doing well. And thanks to sea otter reintroductions, there's about one third of sea otters
spk_0
today are due to reintroduction efforts. And so yes, working with a federally protected
spk_0
mammal is super hard to do a reintroduction because there's a lot of red tape with the government.
spk_0
It takes about a decade basically of lots of research, public support and outreach to make a
spk_0
reintroduction happen. So we are, I like to think maybe halfway there, maybe within the next
spk_0
five to seven years, we'll have sea otters back in the Oregon waters again. And are you coming
spk_0
across any societal opposition? Perhaps from fishing industry people who think that the sea otters
spk_0
fish or for whatever reason? Yes. So we work closely and we're also
spk_0
finding a lot of research along those lines. So the Dungeonous Crab Commission, Dungeonous Crab
spk_0
is the biggest commercial export for the Oregon coast. And so a lot of them are worried that sea otters
spk_0
are just going to come and eat all of the crab. But if you look at the Washington coast and that
spk_0
reintroduction, which is the most similar coastline to Oregon, you'll notice that and over the last
spk_0
decade, the number of sea otters have increased and so has the catch for Dungeonous Crab. So it's
spk_0
all about having conversations one on one and also kind of debunking a lot of their myths or
spk_0
misunderstandings. And the good thing about Dungeonous Crab is they have the ability to go deeper
spk_0
and waters where sea otters can't catch them so they can move quickly. So I think the only impact
spk_0
possibly that it could have is more so on the recreational crabbers or fishermen that are
spk_0
right close to shore where a sea otter population might be. But other than that, the commercial
spk_0
crabbing shouldn't be an issue and also to educate people that they don't eat fish. So that's a
spk_0
big misconception. They don't want to expend that much energy to get their food, which is why they
spk_0
like to eat like a lot of those hard-shelled invertebrates that are just sitting on the bottom of
spk_0
the ocean where they can just pick up, grab it and crack it open. But yeah, also explaining they're
spk_0
not going to take rockfish or anything salmon, anything like that is also really important.
spk_0
I mean, returning to the beaver parallel, the writer C. S. Lewis had Mr. Mrs. Beaver in the
spk_0
Chronicles of Namia, who ate fish, especially salmon, which of course isn't true. The beavers
spk_0
are vegetarian, herbivores, and yet there is a great myth among the Angling community in Britain
spk_0
although there was that beavers would eat fish and that was one of the first myths to knock on the
spk_0
head. So that's very optimistic. You believe that we're halfway there that reintroduction in Oregon
spk_0
may well happen and even quite soon, three, four, five years, that's incredibly exciting. Where would
spk_0
we give our best guesses at where the source population should be, but that would be based on
spk_0
US Fish and Wildlife Service. We'll be the ones to determine that. I think it should be Alaska,
spk_0
because that's where 90% of sea otters live and they wouldn't mind taking away maybe 150
spk_0
population. It wouldn't have an impact and so take about 150, release them off the Oregon
spk_0
coast and then over like a 13 year period supplement those with surrogate raised pups off of the
spk_0
coast of California. So the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Long Beach Aquarium and SeaWorld San Diego are all
spk_0
part of a surrogacy mom program where an orphaned pup washes ashore then they take them behind the
spk_0
scenes without human interaction and have a surrogate mom teach them how to be a sea otter.
spk_0
Teach them how to hunt and dive and groom their fur and once they're deemed
spk_0
releasable release that pup when it gets old enough back to the wild. After about two weeks of
spk_0
observations they'll determine if it's doing okay in the wild or not and then so that is what I
spk_0
mean by a surrogate raised southern sea otter pup. So to reintroduce those back into that population
spk_0
of northern subspecies would be really crucial to help the genetic diversity of the species overall
spk_0
because I will also say Oregon is a place where the northern and southern subspecies and are mingled
spk_0
based off of bones of sea otters found in shell middens which are basically discard piles for
spk_0
indigenous people off the Oregon coast. So that is a huge plus and win for the sea otter species.
spk_0
At the start of our conversation about sea otters you said that the California population which
spk_0
should be knocked back to about 50 individuals at the time of the original protection have recovered
spk_0
to around 3000 today but that it wasn't expanding. Is that because of genetic deficiency or is that
spk_0
because of a lack of habitat or what's the pressure there? So the pressure there is juvenile white
spk_0
sharks. So they're northern range which is where they would naturally expand north to is somehow
spk_0
became this white shark kind of hang out breeding ground so to speak and so there's so many juvenile
spk_0
white sharks north that any lone sea otters trying to find their way up there usually get bit
spk_0
and deceased immediately. The white sharks don't actually eat the otters which is a common misconception.
spk_0
They are switching from eating fish to marine mammals as a juvenile and sea otters sure look like a
spk_0
fatty seal or sealine that they like to eat and then they get a mouthful of fur and let go and
spk_0
usually that's fatal for them. Cute little sea otter. So that's a big reason why they have it
spk_0
expanded and now our kelp forests on the northern California coastline are being impacted with
spk_0
the sea urchin over population and those sea otters can't get there so there's also a sister effort
spk_0
to do a sea otter reintroduction in northern California as well. So the problem is the movement,
spk_0
the dispersal of young sea otters north into those virgin territories to the northern part of
spk_0
California. It's not a problem in the habitat, it's a problem between the suitable areas.
spk_0
Exactly. But wouldn't there have been sea otters continuously along the coast from Baja California
spk_0
all the way up? How has this problem emerged now? Why would this problem have not been there
spk_0
two, three centuries ago? These white sharks presumably have always bred in northern California.
spk_0
Yeah, so also a misconception is that river otters and other otter species have multiple pups at
spk_0
a time and sea otters only have one. So they only have one a year and so they expand and grow as a
spk_0
population really slowly. So a lot of fishermen think sea otters are going to repopulate like rabbits
spk_0
up and down the entire coastline and that's just not true. It'll take about 50 years for that
spk_0
population to kind of settle and start growing. So that's another reason why they just have a slow
spk_0
growth rate. So they're not going to naturally just expand and they're not migratory. So they
spk_0
don't know where they used to be before. A lot of people ask why not. They just swim down from
spk_0
Washington or California, swim up to Oregon and repopulate. That's just not how it will work.
spk_0
It takes human intervention and a reintroduction to restore the species where it should naturally be.
spk_0
So these are the reintroductions we want. We want one in northern California,
spk_0
insutable habitat there and we want one in Oregon which is what the Elacro Alliance is working towards.
spk_0
And that's that. If both of those efforts succeed, then the sea otter is then back across its
spk_0
former range and although it'll take time to recover to its former abundance, it'll be well on the way.
spk_0
Yes, sea otters are the best long term solution for ecosystem health and resiliency off of the
spk_0
coast. And there's some joint efforts of kelp forest restoration projects with some really
spk_0
amazing partners. And also they are working to breed sunflower sea stars and captivity in a lab
spk_0
and then release those back on on the coastline as well. So sea otters aren't the final puzzle piece
spk_0
of success. There's a lot of other factors involved, but they are the best long term solution for
spk_0
the health of the ecosystem as a keystone species. Chanel, I started this rewilding the
spk_0
world podcast series specifically to talk to people like you. I mean, this is just such an amazing
spk_0
story. Your life's work is so inspirational. The best bit about this whole conversation is your
spk_0
assertion that you might be halfway there that this might actually happen in the next three,
spk_0
four, five years. And that this is a species that's gone from the brink of extinction back to a
spk_0
tremendous recovery across parts of its range. And you're going to fill in those gaps with your
spk_0
work at the Alacro Alliance. So Chanel, also I'm an advisor to a species reintroductions fund
spk_0
that has been set up by the charity rewild.org and colossal. And there were grants for specifically
spk_0
the kind of projects that you're working on. So you should have a look at that. Oh, I would love to.
spk_0
Thank you for that. Thank you so much for everything you do. Thank you for telling me about it on
spk_0
the podcast. And I'm really looking forward to staying in touch and following your progress. I love
spk_0
your newsletters. They're super upbeat. Thank you. Yeah, it's it's always fun to spread the message
spk_0
of the Alacro Alliance because even though if you're not, you know, in the US, as I mentioned before,
spk_0
the oxygen that your breathing comes from the ocean. So you should care about
spk_0
keeping those ecosystems healthy and also helping restore a species at once was.
spk_0
And their historical range is really, really crucial.
spk_0
The story of sea otters around the Pacific Rim really is fascinating and one of the best
spk_0
illustrations of Keystone species. I so hope that Chanel and her colleagues are going to be
spk_0
successful in securing permission to reintroduce sea otters along their stretch of the Oregon coast.
spk_0
I hope you enjoyed the episode. Please do give us a like or a review. Spread the word about
spk_0
this podcast series rewilding the world. Take a look at our YouTube channel where we put some of
spk_0
the best bits and snippets from behind the scenes. Next time I'm going to be talking to Shelby Perry
spk_0
from the northeast wilderness trust. One of the most amazing nature recoveries that the world's
spk_0
ever seen has been the recovery of the Great Forests of New England since around 1900 when
spk_0
forest cover is risen from in the 20s of percent to in the 70s of percent. Well today Shelby and
spk_0
her colleagues at the northeast wilderness trust raise money to buy large logging concessions and
spk_0
other tracts of land for protection and restoration. It's an amazing story. The whole area is just full of
spk_0
nature.