Search 
OMSI Science Pub: Oregon’s Sea Otter Translocation – What Happened?
The following description was submitted by the event organizer.
In the summers of 1970 and 1971, 93 sea otters were flown from Amchitka Island, Alaska, to Port Orford and Coos Bay for release into the ocean. Twenty-five sea otters survived. For nearly ten years, they made themselves at home on Blanco Reef, Simpson Reef and other sites. They even had pups. But gradually, their numbers dwindled, and by 1981, all were gone. What happened? Why were they brought to southern Oregon in the first place? What can be learned from this episode about returning sea otters to the Oregon coast?
Bob Bailey, Board President of the Elakha Alliance, will tell the tale and answer your questions. Learn about this fascinating history on the southern Oregon coast and join the discussion afterward.
Bob Bailey is the President of the Elakha Alliance’s Board of Directors. Bob spent nearly 40 years in coastal and ocean planning and management for the State of Oregon. He also served as a City Commissioner for the City of Oregon City, a member of the City of Salem Budget Committee, and chair of the Oregon Wave Energy Trust.