BLOG MONTEREY

Gena Bentall

Since 2001 Gena has worked as a sea otter biologist, studying them in such wide-ranging locations as the Alaska, Russia, San Nicolas Island off the coast of Southern California, and along the Central CA coast. After years studying sea otters in the wild, Gena has learned much about their unique biology and behavior and witnessed first-hand the chronic nature of their disturbance by human activities. In early 2014, together with members of the Southern Sea Otter Research Alliance, she began to pursue the idea of organizing a program specifically dedicated to alleviating this chronic disturbance through education.  Gena now coordinates the Sea Otter Savvy program and reaches out to communities throughout the central coast.

Cara O’Brien

Cara O’Brien started her career as an interpreter volunteering with Channel Islands National Park and has been an interpreter for California State Parks for 23 years. As an interpretive trainer for CA State Parks she specializes in children's interpretation, communication, Marine Protected Areas, and wildlife disturbance prevention.   Cara is the Outreach/Education Coordinator for the Seabird Protection Network Pt. Sur to Pt. Mugu Chapter, a Co-Chair of the San Luis Obispo County Marine Protected Area Collaborative, and the California State Park MPA Outreach Coordinator.