Elakha Alliance

👏 Thank you to our partners at the Oregon Zoo for the invitation to attend this year’s UNITY inc. (United National Indian Tribal Youth) Annual Conference held in Portland, OR. UNITY’s mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska native youth and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native American through greater youth involvement. Special shout out to Miss Indian Northwest Leilonnie Wilson (Klamath Tribe) for visiting us and taking a picture with the lamprey cutout - a culturally significant species here in the Pacific Northwest. The UNITY Conference consisted of: 🔺 2,800+ Native youth in attendance 🔺 500+ advisors/chaperones in attendance 🔺 83 exhibitors/vendors (including Elakha Alliance & Oregon Zoo) #ElakhaAlliance #OregonZoo #Indigneous #TribalYouth #UNITY #Oregon #PNW #Lamprey

😱 Have you heard of "dark oxygen" yet? Recently, scientists discovered "dark oxygen" in the ocean, which refers to oxygen that exists in a chemically reactive form and is not easily detectable by standard measurement techniques. This form of oxygen plays a crucial role in deep-sea ecosystems, influencing various chemical processes and marine life. The discovery of dark oxygen enhances our understanding of ocean chemistry, particularly in low-oxygen environments, and could have implications for studying climate change and marine biology. #ocean #climatechange #science #DarkOxygen #marinescience

Sea otter vs. Sea urchins The sea otters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium were given live red and purple sea urchins as enrichment. Oswald seems to have scooped up all of the urchins for himself 😂 You might say he has a taste for uni! This video is a great example of how sea otters utilize tools to open their prey. Here we witness Oswald utilizing the hard glass surface to crack open a purple sea urchin, which in the wild, he’d use a rock instead. As a keystone species in kelp forests, sea otters help control the sea urchin population so the urchins don’t overgraze on kelp. But here in Oregon, we’ve hadn’t had a population of sea otters for over a century due to being extirpated for their fur by hunters. The Elakha Alliance is working hard to restore this marine mammal to benefit our nearshore marine ecosystems and return a cultural significant species to coastal tribes. #seaotters #seaotter #otters #Oregon #oregoncoast #kelpforest #kelp #seaurchins

Did you know that both wolves and sea otters are keystone species in the Northwest? When they're missing, our ecosystems suffer. Wolves help control deer populations, preventing overgrazing and allowing forests to thrive. Similarly, sea otters keep sea urchin numbers in check, protecting vital kelp forests. Without these crucial predators, our landscapes and seascapes become imbalanced, leading to a loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation. Let's support efforts to restore these amazing animals and the health of our environment! #seaotters #wolves #rewilding #wildlife #pacificnorthwest #keystonespecies

🌿🌊 Kelp forests are the unsung heroes of the Oregon coast! These underwater ecosystems offer numerous benefits that are vital for our environment and communities. By providing habitat and food for a diverse array of marine life, kelp forests support rich biodiversity. They also help protect our shores from erosion by buffering wave energy and stabilizing sediment. Plus, kelp forests are incredible carbon sinks, playing a crucial role in combating climate change by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. 📸: Laura Tesler | #kelp #kelpforest #pnw #oregon #oregoncoast #elakhaalliance #carbonsink #climatechange

Leaders of two federally recognized Oregon coastal Indian tribes have called upon U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to “take all appropriate actions” to direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to return sea otters — known to tribal ancestors as Xulh-t’ush, Giye’we, or Ela-ke’ — to the Oregon coast within the next five years. #seaotters #seaotter #rewilding #wildlife #kelp #oregoncoast #Indigenous #oregon #Siletz #CSTCLUSI #tribes

Thanks to Jane Bacchieri and Chanel Hason from the Elakha Alliance for speaking with Oregon On The Record host/producer about their efforts to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon Coast. Listen on demand at KLCC.org.

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We are thrilled to announce that Brittany Blades has joined the Elakha Alliance as our newest board member! Brittany is the Curator of Marine Mammals at Oregon Coast Aquarium. She has worked with sea otters for 16 years, getting her start with an internship at Oregon Zoo where she was inspired to focus on the conservation of sea otters. She now has experience caring for sea otters as well as collecting Washington sea otter foraging data and participating in the Washington Sea Otter Annual Census. She has always called the Pacific Northwest home growing up in Washington and Oregon as a child and graduating from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s of science in biology. As you can see, Brittany brings a wealth of experience and a passionate commitment to conservation and the environment. Her dedication aligns perfectly with our mission to return sea otters to Oregon's coastal ecosystems. #elakhaalliance #seaotters #Oregon #oregoncoast #seaotter #oregoncoastaquarium #newport #pnw #marinemammals

🤔 Do you know the differences between North American River Otters and Sea Otters? One is plentiful along our waterways across Oregon (including beaches), and one has been absent along our coastline for over 100 years. Test your knowledge via our website 🧠 ! #seaotters #riverotter #riverotters #seaotter #Oregon #oregoncoast

🎥 We're excited to share this stunning video, captured by Brett Willyard on June 8th, 2024, featuring two male sea otters off the coast of Cannon Beach, Oregon. Please do let us know if you spot the sea otters by emailing Info@ElakhaAlliance.org. Multiple partners are interested in documenting their foraging data while they are visiting the Oregon coastline. https://lnkd.in/gnfpR4Vt #seaotters #seaotter #otters #marinemammals #elakhaalliance #oregon #oregoncoast #cannonbeach #ocean