Lecture Series On Efforts To Restore Sea Otters

The Oregon Coast Community College Foundation is pleased to announce the return of the Williams Lecture Series. Briefly interrupted by the Pandemic, the annual series has brought thought-provoking speakers to Lincoln County for three decades. Join Chanel Hason, Director of Outreach and Community Relations for the Elakha Alliance, for an engaging

presentation about the organization’s efforts to restore sea otters to the Oregon coast. Discover how these charismatic marine mammals are vital to the health of our coastal ecosystems, the history behind their disappearance, and the collaborative work being done to bring them back.

Learn how you can support this critical conservation mission and help make a lasting impact on Oregon’s marine environment. The presentation will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, 540 NE Hwy. 101. The presentation is free, but donations to the Foundation and/or The Elakha Alliance are welcome.

Sea otters once thrived along the Oregon Coast, living in harmony with the region’s abundant kelp forests and rocky reefs.

As a keystone species, they played a crucial role in maintaining a balanced marine

ecosystem by controlling populations of sea urchins, which, if left unchecked, can devastate kelp forests. However, by the early 1900s, sea otters were hunted to near extinction due to the global demand for their luxurious pelts during the fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. While successful reintroduction efforts have restored sea otters to parts of Alaska, British Columbia, and central California, these animals have yet to reclaim their historic range along the Oregon Coast.

The Elakha Alliance is at the forefront of the effort to change that. By working with scientists, local communities, and policymakers, the organization aims to reintroduce sea otters to Oregon waters in a sustainable, ecologically sound way that benefits both the marine environment and coastal economies.