Join MidCoast Watersheds Council for an inside look at the care and conservation of sea otters, with speaker Brittany Blades. Sea otters, often described as charismatic marine mammals, are more than just a cute face. Attend this free talk to discover why they are the heroes of our nearshore ecosystems! The plight of the sea otter is an encouraging story about the recovery of a near extinct species, a journey that continues to this day. In Oregon, sea otters have long been absent from our shores as a result of centuries of intense hunting. The only places in Oregon where you are guaranteed to find one are the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Oregon Zoo. Learn how Brittany Blades found herself immersed in a career caring for sea otters as well as getting involved with sea otter conservation efforts. Hear personal stories of hilarious sea otter antics and discover actions you can take to help sea otters in Oregon!

Speaker: Brittany Blades

Curator of Marine Mammals at Oregon Coast Aquarium

Brittany is the Curator of Marine Mammals at Oregon Coast Aquarium. She has worked with sea otters since 2008, getting her start with an internship at Oregon Zoo where she was inspired to focus on the care and conservation of sea otters and has now cared for sea otters at Oregon Coast Aquarium since 2011. Brittany manages the care for sea otters as well as collecting Washington sea otter foraging data, participating in the Washington Sea Otter Annual Census, and collecting data on sea otters in California. She has always called the Pacific Northwest home growing up in Washington and Oregon as a child and graduating from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s of science in biology. Brittany has now called the Oregon Coast home for 14 years and has recently taken the next step in sea otter conservation by becoming a board member for Elakha Alliance.