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aquaken

@aquaken.bsky.social
324 followers 702 following 46 posts

Senior Executive Communications Strategist at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Sharing stories of ocean & climate, sustainability -- and hope. he, him, él

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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
We're honored that @montereybayaquarium.org was named Best Environment Nonprofit and Best Place to Take Visitors in the 2026 @montereycountynow.com readers' poll. #travel #FamilyTravel #ZoosAndAquariums @visitcalifornia.bsky.social
Girl with light brown hair and her hands on the window in front of her smiles as water cascades in the Wave Crash tunnel at Monterey Bay Aquarium.A dark-haired, brown-skinned mother and daughter smile as they look at moon jellies in a clear tube held by a blonde Monterey Bay Aquarium staffer.
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The headline and lede for this story have been updated and fixed. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
Election deniers Cleta Mitchell and Tina Peters want Trump’s commerce secretary to regulate voting machines
The problem? No federal official can seize control of election administration from the states and counties, who hold the power run elections under the U.S. Constitution.
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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Just did some number crunching using latest (Oct 1) ECMWF seasonal data, and I must say that I've never seen such high predictive confidence in a very wet California winter. This is a truly extraordinary forecast amid a record-strength El Niño event. [Thread: please read to end.]
Model-relative sea surface temperature anomalies for November 2026–January 2027. The supplied grid is displayed without added smoothing or coastal filling. Beige marks land and gray marks missing ocean values. The main colour scale spans -2 to +10°F, with white at zero. Hot pink marks anomalies above +10°F. This map does not establish an operational ENSO category.
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
@jenny-gray.bsky.social, the first new CEO of @montereybayaquarium.org in its 42-year history, shares her bold vision for the future of a global ocean conservation leader, www.kcra.com/article/mont... #inspiration #OceanConservation
kcra.com
New CEO shares vision for iconic Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium, a global leader in ocean conservation and a top destination for tourists, has a new CEO, marking the first leadership change in the aquarium's 40-year history.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 01/10/2026
A new federal rule weakens the Endangered Species Act by redefining "harm" to wildlife. This change makes it much harder to protect the habitats that endangered species need to survive. Tell Congress to undo this change and protect endangered species here: mbayaq.co/4xSPQUZ
mbayaq.co
Stand with the Aquarium for Endangered Species - title
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 24/09/2026
Take our seven-question quiz to meet your otter twin! Are you bold and adventurous? Or do you have the superstar energy who shows off for her fans? Discover if you're most like Selka, Ivy, Opal, Suri, or Willow! 👉 bit.ly/4hJaW30
Two southern sea otters with wet fur sitting next to each other. One otter is holding food in their paws.A California sea otter, or southern sea otter, with wet fur looks at the camera
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 21/09/2026
But our work doesn't stop there. You can help us continue rescuing, rehabilitating, and returning otters to the wild. Donations to the sea otter fund this week will be matched by a generous donor. Donate and double your impact! Click this link to donate: mbayaq.co/3V0HBsc
mbayaq.co
Donate to our Sea Otter Program | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Donate now to help save the ocean.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 21/09/2026
Every sea otter deserves a second chance! In 2025, we opened our Sea Otter Conservation Center. Thanks to donor support, this state-of-the-art facility features two new holding tanks and two exam rooms, allowing us to provide critical care to more southern sea otters in need.
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aquaken @aquaken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
When our son was born 26+ years ago, we knew—as older parents—that we wanted to be around for as much of his life as possible. A friend introduced us to a balanced resistance+cardio exercise program that we’ve been following (pretty much) ever since. gregpallone.substack.com/p/two-hours-...
gregpallone.substack.com
Two Hours a Week
Harvard just published its largest-ever study on strength training and longevity. Here is what it found — and what it means for the rest of us.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Sea star wasting disease occurs naturally but research has linked prolonged, severe outbreaks to #MarineHeatwaves and a #WarmingOcean. The ocean is changing. Our job is to observe carefully, ask better questions, share what we learn, and act before today's warning signs become tomorrow's losses.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Close to home, our @montereybayaquarium.org research team has observed wasting in bat stars and Pisaster stars at Asilomar State Beach, along with gumboot chitons showing signs of degradation. Bat stars have been considered more resistant to wasting disease, so these observations are concerning.
An orange bat star sits atop a bed of dark-colored marine algae.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Our warming ocean is sending us signals, but are we paying attention? From whale sharks and manta rays off Southern California to sea stars showing signs of wasting here in Monterey Bay, this summer is offering both extraordinary encounters and worrying reminders of how much our ocean is changing.
Colorful orange and pink invertebrates cover a rock in the foreground as giant kelp towers in the background in blue ocean water.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
With California poised to implement #SB54, the most far-reaching law to reduce plastic packaging and pollution, it’s so encouraging to have the effort led by a talented individual like @calrecycle.bsky.social's Zoe Heller: bit.ly/4h4Re0g #CircularEconomy #PlasticPollution #EnvironmentalJustice
bit.ly
Leadership at a pivotal moment
Throughout her career, Zoe Heller, director of CalRecycle, has been focused on the human connection to environmental effects. That focus
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Love to ride your bike and take in the gorgeous scenery? @nytimes.com Travel rates the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail that goes past @montereybayaquarium.org as one the top 5 routes in the U.S. under 25 miles. bit.ly/3UYp6Va @visitcalifornia.bsky.social #BikeRide #Cycling #ScenicBikeRides
Bicyclist rides on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail with a scenic view of blue Monterey Bay and the rocky shoreline in the background.
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A visit to @montereybayaquarium.org is a highlight of an iconic California road trip from Los Angeles to Monterey, per Travel + Leisure, www.travelandleisure.com/california-r... #Highway1 @visitcalifornia.bsky.social #FamilyTravel
travelandleisure.com
I’m a California Native, and This Is the Road Trip I Keep Coming Back to for Food, Wine, and Scenic Views
This five-day California road trip from Los Angeles to Monterey stops in charming towns and passes some of the state’s best wineries, restaurants, and views.
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
From educators to life-support systems operators, from enterprise systems administrators to security officers, we need people of all talents on our @montereybayaquarium.org team! www.montereybayaquarium.org/about-us/abo... #careers #JobOpenings #hiring #JoinOurTeam #hiring
montereybayaquarium.org
Job opportunities
Interested in a career at the Monterey Bay Aquarium? Get information about our employment opportunities.
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Lyn Heideman @heidelyn.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
to wildlife and inspired the world’s biggest wildlife crossing, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which spans Highway 101. P-22 will now be honored in the same way we celebrate human heroes, with a larger-than-life bronze statue in Griffith Park: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/u.... 🌎
nytimes.com
A Beloved Los Angeles Mountain Lion Will Live Forever in Bronze (Gift Article)
A sculpture of the mountain lion, known as P-22, will go up in Griffith Park, where he roamed until his death in 2022.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 11/09/2026
25 years after the horrific terror attacks of September 11th, 2001, we remember the New Yorkers we lost and honor the extraordinary heroism and selflessness that carried our city forward.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 11/09/2026
POV: Playing rock, paper, fins in the Kelp Forest! #MontereyBayAquarium #RockPaperFins #FincrediblyFun
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Even the deep ocean isn't immune to #PlasticPollution! And while a toy may appear innocent, the associated problems are not. That's why @montereybayaquarium.org supports legislation and international agreements that reduce unnecessary plastic at the source. bit.ly/3V4SNUu
bit.ly
Plastic pollution
Explore the impacts and solutions to plastic pollution in the ocean.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The ocean moves us. It makes us jump for joy, swim, run, wriggle, and sometimes just stop and stare in wonder. I’m delighted we're welcoming a raft of charismatic creatures to @montereybayaquarium.org, from seahorses to penguins. When the ocean moves us, we’re much more likely to move for the ocean.
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dailybruinan.bsky.social @dailybruinan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
5/5 📅 Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 📍 UCLA Save the date and come reconnect with the newsroom that brought generations of Bruins together. 💙💛 #DailyBruin #DBAN #UCLA #UCLABruins #Journalism #StudentJournalism #CollegeJournalism #BruinPride
Daily Bruin Alumni Reunion schedule graphic for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, featuring a blue-and-gold illustration of UCLA’s Kerckhoff Hall. Events include a noon newsroom open house, 1 p.m. DB10 Workshop, 2:45 p.m. State of AI discussion, 4 p.m. State of the Bruin, and a 5:30 p.m. alumni dinner and awards at the James West Alumni Center honoring Patrick Healy ’76 and Jeong Park ’17 as the 2026 Alumni of the Year.
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dailybruinan.bsky.social @dailybruinan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
4/5 Whether it’s been one year, 10 years or 50 years since your last deadline in Kerckhoff, we’d love to welcome you back. 📰 💬 Tag a Daily Bruin alum you want to see at this year’s reunion! #DailyBruinAlumni #DBAN #UCLAAlumni
Interior of the Daily Bruin newsroom at UCLA, featuring a long wooden table surrounded by office chairs. The dark blue walls display framed photographs and Daily Bruin branding, with plants arranged throughout the workspace.
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dailybruinan.bsky.social @dailybruinan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
3/5 🏆 We’ll close out the day with the Daily Bruin Alumni Dinner & Awards, honoring our 2026 Alumni of the Year: Patrick Healy ’76 Jeong Park ’17 Come celebrate their work and their contributions to the Daily Bruin community. 💙
Graphic announcing the 2026 Daily Bruin Alumni Network Alumni of the Year honorees, Jeong Park ’17 and Patrick Healy ’76. Portraits of Park and Healy appear side by side. Text reads: “Come celebrate these two extraordinary Bruins at our reunion on Saturday, Oct. 10.”
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dailybruinan.bsky.social @dailybruinan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
2/5 Back to Kerckhoff. Back to the newsroom. 💙💛 📰 Open House in the Daily Bruin Newsroom 🎓 DB10 Workshop connecting students & alumni 🤖 The State of AI discussion 🗞️ State of the Bruin with current DB leadership #DailyBruin #UCLA
Exterior view of UCLA’s Kerckhoff Hall, a Gothic-style brick and stone building, framed by trees and pink flowers on a sunny day.
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aquaken @aquaken.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I'm looking forward to the celebration! #DailyBruin #UCLA #UCLAAlumni
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 09/09/2026
Since 1984, we've welcomed more than 2.7 million students on free Aquarium field trips. We’re proud to help inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. 💙 Learn more about the impact of our ocean education programs: mbayaq.co/3SQl8gL
Several kindergarten students sitting while listening to someone speakLooking down on a group of students sitting in front of the Kelp Forest Exhibit watching their teacher speakStudents wearing backpacks looking at a school of anchovies in the AquariumStudents looking in awe at the Kelp Forest exhibit
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 09/09/2026
What happens when young people get the chance to experience marine life, learn together, and realize their own power to make a difference? 🌊 They build connections to the ocean, to their communities, and to a future they can help shape.
A young student wearing a big red bow looks down in awe into an aquarium exhibitA student and chaperone look at exhibit labels in the aviary of an AquariumFour middle school students lean over the bat ray touch pool at the Aquarium, with one girl reacting particularly excited and surprised after touching a rayAn elementary school student holds a magnifying glass while looking into an aquarium tank with purple sea urchins
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Alex Hale🦜🏴‍☠️ @climatecrisisclub.org · 08/09/2026
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 08/09/2026
The ocean moves us! Kids, get ready to waddle like a penguin and twist like a big-belly seahorse. Our new exhibit Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar opens November 7! Designed for the young and young at heart, guests are invited to discover ocean life through movement and play: mbayaq.co/3UGrrnE
An African penguin stands on a rockA big-belly seahorse wraps its tail around a strand of seagrassA bright orange clownfish swims through orange anemoneThree shrimpfish drifting vertically
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IPEN: toxics-free @toxicsfree.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
On International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, IPEN warns that waste incineration, especially of plastics, produces hazardous air pollution and toxic residues. The solution: reduce plastic production and eliminate toxic plastic chemicals. 🔗 Learn more: ow.ly/CJQL50ZFOEQ
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
We're fortunate to work in a place where our daily efforts can contribute to the future of something as important as the ocean. On this #LaborDay2026, I celebrate all of our staff and volunteers who are part of this continuing story.
A woman with long, wavy blonde hair holds a flashlight to a tank of jellies that she is working to raise behind the scenes at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
What I find especially meaningful is that all of this work comes together around something bigger than any individual job: our mission to inspire conservation of the ocean.
A father in a blue top holds his young daughter in a pink top in front of the Kelp Forest exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium while a leopard shark swims past among the kelp fronds.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Some of our staff work directly with animals, guests, students, or scientists. Many keep the buildings running, manage finances, support our people, raise funds, tell our stories, develop technology, or make sure all the details come together. Every part of it matters.
A woman on the Education staff at Monterey Bay Aquarium with a black long-sleeved top and dark hair bends over to work with a seated young woman wearing a white hoodie in one of the Aquarium's teen programs.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Now the Aquarium is part of that story. I think about that when I walk through the gallieries and see the extraordinary range of talents that bring this place alive.
Five people from the Life Support team at Monterey Bay Aquarium stand amid a tangle of seawater pipes in the Aquarium basement.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
In Monterey, for thousands of years, people have lived and worked along the shores of this extraordinary bay: indigenous peoples with deep knowledge of and relationship with the land and sea. Later came many others whose hard work shaped this community.
A commercial fishing boat motors from right to left on calm water against a backdrop of a fog bank and peach-colored sunset sky.
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
As we mark the #LaborDay holiday, I’ve been thinking about the meaning of the day and the people whose work has shaped the places we live. This year, I'm especially reflecting on the talented people who work at @montereybayaquarium.org.
Young man in blue jacket shows a tube of moon jellies to visitors in a red t shirt and green top at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
'The otters are in exceptionally good hands.' Get to know the new @montereybayaquarium.org CEO @jenny-gray.bsky.social in this profile in the Sept. 4 Carmel Pine Cone, starting on page 2W. carmelpinecone.com/260904PC.pdf
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 04/09/2026
A new cohort of juvenile lumpfish just joined the Into the Deep/En Lo Profundo exhibit! They hatched behind the scenes on January 2 and spent the past months being raised by our expert animal care staff! Learn more about the amazing lumpfish at: mbayaq.co/462IbIb #LumpfishBabies #MarineConservation
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UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 04/09/2026
A rising tide of plastic pollution is contaminating land, sea & air and increasingly finding its way into our bodies as microplastics. UNEP is working with countries to tackle this threat & create a more circular economy which is good for people & planet. 👉Annual Report: ow.ly/XXGC50ZJhaz
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David Frew @drvon2.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Facts like this are the main reason people should be on BlueSky
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Jenny Gray @jenny-gray.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Research teams at @montereybayaquarium.org are paying close attention to troubling ocean warming and other trends affecting marine life, including the growth of needlelike plankton species Pseudo-nitzchia that are linked to serious neurological disorders in marine mammals and humans. #MarineLife
A microscope slide shows many needle-like brownish filaments of Pseudo-nitzchia plankton, scattered like pick-up sticks across the image.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 01/09/2026
Use the new Seafood Watch Sushi Guide to find new favorites and share it with your network: mbayaq.co/4iGhHU9
mbayaq.co
Sushi Guide
Use this guide to choose ocean-friendly sushi across the U.S.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 01/09/2026
It now includes easy-to-follow choose and avoid recommendations for the most commonly used seafood in sushi—like crab, tuna, salmon, shrimp, eel, and more—plus the sushi names to look for on the menu.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 01/09/2026
🍣 Choosing sustainable seafood is a positive action nearly all of us can take to protect ocean habitats and wildlife. Our refreshed Sushi Guide will make those choices even easier.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 01/09/2026
Kiwi the tufted puffin chick is two months old and thriving! 🐣 Daily checkups from our dedicated aviculturists keep this puffling healthy—a big win for the Species Survival Plan, which works to protect the genetic diversity of nearly 300 species, including tufted puffins like Kiwi.
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Monterey Aquarium PR @montereyaqpr.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Great to see two @montereybayaquarium.org ctenophore stars -- Mackenzie Bubel and Tommy Knowles -- presenting about their success culturing several ctenophore species that are now on exhibit at the Aquarium.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 28/08/2026
Then Assemblymember Dave Jones was inspired to create the fund after learning about the threats facing sea otters during a 2005 visit with his family to the Aquarium. Laird co-authored the original legislation. www.dailynews.com/2006/04/03/a...
dailynews.com
Assemblyman tries to save sea otters
SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, was visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium last summer when he and his family learned that the threatened California sea otter population is not thriving...
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 28/08/2026
While the fund doesn't directly support the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program, it has raised $5 million since 2006 for other organizations whose work complements all that we’re doing to recover this iconic species. bit.ly/3Upflix #WildlifeConservation #MarineMammal #SeaOtter #ActForTheOcean
A staff member at Monterey Bay Aquarium cradles a rescued sea otter pup and hand-feeds it formula from a baby bottle. The pup is brown; the staff member wears a black outfit with yellow trim and green medical gloves.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 28/08/2026
Huge thanks to @governor.ca.gov for signing into law a bill by State Sen. John Laird to re-establish California Sea Otter Voluntary Contribution Fund. The Fund will again appear on the 2026 state income tax return; to remain active, it must attract at least $250,000 in contributions each year.
A group of brown sea otters floats amid golden-brown kelp amid blue ocean water off the back deck of Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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