Back to search

Sea Otter Awareness Week comes to campus

Sea otter fans – that’s sea otter as in Enhydra lutris, not Monte Rey – it’s your time of year.

Sea Otter Awareness Week, the annual recognition of the vital role these marine mammals play in the near-shore ecosystem, will be celebrated Sept. 20-26.

Each year, universities, zoos, aquariums, marine institutions, researchers, educators and the public participate in events and activities highlighting sea otters, their natural history and the conservation issues facing them.

CSU Monterey Bay – where the sea otter is the school’s mascot – will host a lecture at 7 p.m., Sept. 24, as part of the activities. The public is invited to this free event, held in the University Center living room on Sixth Avenue and B Street. "Crush, smash or bite: Feeding performance and specialization in southern sea otters" will be the topic presented by Chris Law, a graduate student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz.