Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

River Otter Ecology Project

@riverotterecology.bsky.social

530 followers 730 following 130 posts

We work to create lasting protections for local waterways using community science, research, education, and advocacy. Our ambassador is the North American River Otter – an indicator of healthy waters. Otters for Waters https://riverotterecology.org/

riverotterecology.org

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Nov 20

River otter inspecting the pipes...
(photo courtesy of the incomparable Debbie Fier)

1 2 27

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 4d

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.

River otter with a leopard shark in its mouth.

2 1

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 7d

7 river otters walking along a beach at sunset.

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 7d

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

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.

1 6

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 8d

2/2

2 5 54

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 8d

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

1/2

4 57 210

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · 21d

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

3 15

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 31

Or you could check out our river otter sightings map.

The link is on this web page

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

Become an Otter Spotter | River Otter Ecology Project

riverotterecology.org

1 1 3

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 31

That's us!

riverotterecology.org

River Otter Ecology Project | River Otters: Heralds of a Healthy Watershed

riverotterecology.org

2 4

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 25

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

(Video by K James)

2 11

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 20

Suburban street as a wildlife corridor.

Top-notch Otter Spotting by Taylor R

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 15

Strange things happen in the night.

2 4

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Aug 12

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

(Photos by Trish Carney)

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.

2 15

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 24

Some days later...

1 1 6

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 19

Excellent sighting, but not a river otter.

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

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.

1 9

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 18

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...

www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 16

Bobcat considers its next move.

1 10

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 12

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...

Oppose New Shellfish Lease — EAC

www.eacmarin.org

1 2

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 5

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

time.com/archive/6933...

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.com

1 3 9

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 4

“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

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Mar 14

#resist

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 3

We’re looking forward to reading it.

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 3

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

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jul 1

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...

Become an Otter Spotter | River Otter Ecology Project

riverotterecology.org

River Otter Ecology Project @riverotterecology.bsky.social · Jun 29

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.

1 1

Reposted by River Otter Ecology Project

seaottersavvy.bsky.social @seaottersavvy.bsky.social · Jun 27

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

www.researchgate.net

Reposted by River Otter Ecology Project

seaottersavvy.bsky.social @seaottersavvy.bsky.social · Jun 27

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.🧵👇

1 1