Today’s Good News: Could otters slow climate change by munching on sea urchins? Scientists think so | Why This Matters

Today’s Good News: Could otters slow climate change by munching on sea urchins? Scientists think so | Why This Matters

Why this story matters: Amid constant bad news, it’s important to highlight examples of progress that rarely make the front page. Quick summary: This story highlights recent developments related to slow, showing how constructive action can lead to meaningful results. When Jessica Fujii was in kindergarten, she drew a picture of her future. In a “What do you want to be when you grow up?” booklet, she skipped ballerina and veterinarian, and wrote down something else entirely: sea otter biologist, complete with cartoon-like otters in the great tide pool at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Fujii grew up in California’s Bay Area, and trips to Monterey and its aquarium became a regular part of her childhood. She remembers paddling alongside her dad in a kayak on Monterey Bay, watching wild otters float on their backs as they cracked open crabs and let the shells sink. Back then, she mostly took their presence for granted. Today, as a sea otter researcher and program manager at the aquarium, she knows…