Research

Very little is known and has been published regarding the ecology and current status of river otters (Lontra canadensis) in Central and Northern California. Our project strives to fill this gap in understanding about the status, range, reproduction, diet and general ecology of the species in coastal watersheds of the San Francisco Bay Area. 

As of January 2013, we have 22+ remote camera stations positioned along an 80-mile stretch of coastline and stream at 11 study locations north of the Golden Gate.  We bicycle, hike and kayak to our study sites.  These cameras document the elusive otters - incl. family groups and PUPS.   Volunteer scientists work hard to gather data weekly at each site, and we sure have a lot of fun doing it!

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Check out our OTTER SPOTTER Citizen Science Project and discover ways you can help put otters on the map in the Bay Area!