As a field station of USGS-WERC, we are the federal agency with primary responsibility for conducting conservation-based research on legally threatened sea otter populations.  Accordingly, our research also focuses on the factors causing sea otter population declines or limiting population recovery.  Working closely with a number of partner agencies (CDFG, Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Research and Conservation, UC Davis Veterinary School, and PISCO) we employ a combination of field data collection and advanced analytical techniques to understand how various anthropogenic factors and community interactions together control sea otter population dynamics.  Our research results are used by US Fish and Wildlife Service to inform policy and guide management decisions.

Finally, we are also interested in marine plant- herbivore interactions, the behavioral ecology of marine vertebrates, and the evolution of marine living in mammals.