Sea otters are a keystone species whose recovery has transformed kelp forest ecosystems in the Pacific. Their welfare and conservation are deeply connected to the health of coastal marine environments.
Sea otter welfare is intertwined with the health of the kelp forest ecosystem they maintain. Individual sea otters face welfare risks from fishing gear entanglement, oiling events, and shark bite injuries - otters are not typical great white shark prey but are occasionally bitten, potentially due to prey confusion. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has developed rehabilitation programs for stranded, oiled, and injured sea otters, including surrogate otter programs where wild-caught animals raise orphaned pups before release. The welfare of individual otters being rehabilitated is carefully managed to prevent imprinting on humans that would prevent successful return to the wild. The conservation success of sea otter recovery has demonstrated that species can return from the brink of extinction with appropriate protection.