River Otter Ecology Project

River otter with a leopard shark in its mouth.

River Otter with a leopard shark in its mouth.

Jack Scheinman, who took that photo, reported the sighting through our Otter Spotter web portal back in 2022.

Here are a couple of other photos he submitted along with his sighting report.

7 river otters walking along a beach at sunset.

A Message for National Park Visitors During the Shutdown With many National Parks operating with limited or no staffing during the government shutdown, now is the time to be the best visitor you can be. Pretend there's a ranger right beside you, giving you that friendly smile (as they do), and follow these essential guidelines: 1. Pack it in, pack it out. Trash services may not be available-take everything home with you. 2. Yes, that includes human waste. Don't leave it on or near trails. Learn proper disposal methods (in the first comment). 3. Respect no-dog signs. No exceptions, no excuses. These rules protect both wildlife and your pet. 4. Practice ethical wildlife photography. If an animal is looking at you or changes its behavior, you're too close. Back away and give them space. After a busy summer season, wildlife deserves peace in their own home. 5. Be kind, be courteous, share best practices with others. Our parks are treasures that depend on all of us to protect them. Let's show them the respect they deserve.

Our National Parks are treasures that depend on all of us to protect them.
#NationalParks

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Sometimes a bobcat falls right to sleep in front of your research camera.

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River otter catches a fish, but her pup nabs it and runs away.

Or you could check out our river otter sightings map.

The link is on this web page

riverotterecology.org/become-an-ot...

That's us!

riverotterecology.org

Derelict concrete is a habitat element for these urban river otters.

(Video by K James)

Suburban street as a wildlife corridor.

Top-notch Otter Spotting by Taylor R

Strange things happen in the night.

Coyote on a shoreline with its head down to take a coot stashed in in the water. A river otter is running toward the coyote. Another river otter is in the water.

River otter chases off coyote.

Coyote attempts to assume control of the river otters' coot cache, but is met by spirited resistance.

(Photos by Trish Carney)

Some days later...

Picture of yellow-bellied marmot standing on a rock next to a small granite boulder the size of a small granite boulder, with the trunk of a tree in the background.

Excellent sighting, but not a river otter.

riverotterecology.org/become-an-ot...

New publication from our new Program Manager, Katie Ballinger.

Before joining ROEP, Katie and her colleagues investigated attempted predation on Northern elephant seal weanlings by coyotes.

www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/atte...

Bobcat considers its next move.

A proposed shellfish farm at Brazil Beach poses a major threat to Tomales Bay, a Wetland of International Importance.

We're part of the Alliance for Brazil Beach, working to protect eelgrass beds, water quality, and habitat for seals and shorebirds.

Learn more:
www.eacmarin.org/oppose-new-s...

Did a Time-Traveling Bird Sabotage the Collider? Sometime on Nov. 3, the supercooled magnets in sector 81 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), outside Geneva, began to dangerously overheat. Scientists rushed to...

Time-traveling bird dropping a baguette on the LHC has already been tried, with limited success, so maybe skip that.

time.com/archive/6933...

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.”

--Thomas Paine, 1776

We’re looking forward to reading it.

Thanks Maggie for the great sighting! And thanks Marthine for being a top-notch Otter Ambassador!

Thanks for the great article, and for the fantastic info graphic!

Anyone who sees a river otter can report it to us. A photo or two attached to the sighting form really helps.

riverotterecology.org/become-an-ot...

We don't mean to be scolds, but videos like this send the wrong message. Otters are wild animals, and the illegal pet trade is problematic for a number of the 14 otter species around the world.

Here's a video of wild baby river otters with their mom, where they belong. They're cute too.

Read the Science #ScienceFriday: www.researchgate.net/profile/Mega...

Despite the surprising #, pelicans didn’t appear to avoid the lagoon. The study raises key questions-like how pelican carcasses might subsidize scavengers and affect long-term ecosystem dynamics. This research shows how river otters, as a recovering predator species, are playing a dynamic role.🧵👇

New research from @riverotterecology.bsky.social reveals a surprising twist in river otter diet: predation on Pelicans at Abbotts Lagoon in Point Reyes National Seashore. From 2018–2023, researchers documented this predator-prey relationship (73 pelican carcasses recorded during 19 surveys).
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A big Thank You to our good friends at @seaottersavvy.bsky.social for highlighting our research into a novel prey choice for California river otters.

YouTube video by Randy Newman - Topic Burn On (2002 Remaster)

While our government sets fire to democracy, the rule of law, and now perhaps the world, we pause to remember that on June 22, 1969 the Cuyahoga River caught fire.

The river had burned before, but this fire became symbolic of the need for environmental activism.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVNu...

River otter and Brown pelican.

(photo by W Legge)

It's river otter baby season!

Here are some things to keep in mind if you see a mother and her pups.