ACS Monterey Bay Program for May 2006

Sea Otters of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Photo © Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation

Thursday, May 25, 2006 7 p.m. Refreshments, 7:30 p.m. Program Lecture Hall, Monterey Boatworks, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove (Across from American Tin Cannery Outlet Stores) Speaker: Michelle Jeffries, Associate Curator of Mammals, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Our speaker, who has wide experience in animal behavior, will tell us the "inside" story of the sea otter exhibit at the Aquarium. She will cover the otters in the exhibit, their day-to-day life, what has been learned about their behavior and how this all ties in the Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program (SORAC). Michelle has played an integral part in the training of the otters, believing that behavioral conditioning can be a valuable husbandry tool to improve an animal's care and which can answer questions about their capabilities. She is a firm believer that "the animals have all the answers -- all you have to do is ask the right questions".

She has worked with top scientists in the Marine Field including Sam Rigeway, Ken Norris, and Ron Schusterman, and apart from sea otters has experience with a variety of animals such as whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, primates, manatees, sharks, rays, octopus, and mola molas (sunfish).

She will also give us an overview of the plans for the upcoming freshwater otter exhibit, which will open in April 2007. Presently, this temporary exhibit plans to display the Asian Short-clawed and African Spot-necked Otters.

This will be a very interesting presentation and the perfect time to come and ask the expert all those things you've wondered about those charismatic creatures which, for many people, are the highlight of their visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Related web pages:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Exhibit

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