Kelp, Currents, and Comebacks: An Otter's Tale in the San Francisco Bay
Pelagic Problems
Last year in 2024, I submitted an art piece to an art contest. Even though I didn’t win, the piece carries a story I deeply care about and want to share. It’s a painting of a sea otter floating peacefully in the San Francisco harbor, wrapped snugly in a swirl of golden kelp. Nestled beside him are bright purple and red sea urchins, while the Golden Gate Bridge stretches across the horizon, a quiet witness to the balance of this coastal ecosystem.
While much of my work and life is rooted in Southern California, this piece was inspired by Northern California’s rugged coastline, specifically the powerful role sea otters play in its marine health. Otters aren’t just cute, they’re ecosystem engineers. In places like Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay, they are a keystone species, keeping sea urchin populations in check. Without them, urchins would overgraze and devastate kelp forests, which serve as vital underwater nurseries and carbon sinks.
The presence of both purple and red urchins in the painting represents this balance and the threat. Purple urchins, in particular, have exploded in number due to climate change and predator loss, turning once-thriving kelp forests into underwater deserts. But when otters return to a region, kelp can come back. Life can rebound.
I wanted this painting to honor that resilience. The kelp wrapped around the otter isn’t just a bed but it’s a symbol of protection, both given and received. In this case, the otter protects the kelp, and the kelp shelters the otter. And both, in turn, support an entire web of marine life that stretches from the sea floor to our coastal communities.
Even though this platform is largely focused on Southern California’s waters, I think it’s important to remember that our state is connected by more than highways. It’s connected by tides, currents, and shared responsibility. From kelp beds in Big Sur to estuaries in LA, the health of one region echoes through the next.
So while I didn’t win the contest, this piece still wins a place in my heart and my work. It’s a reminder that every brushstroke, like every conservation effort , adds up. I hope it reminds you, too, of the beauty and importance of protecting our coasts, north and south.
If you would like to know more about the history of sea otters, feel free to check out my video below: