Water is fundamental for all life, but in many urban and suburban areas, waterways have been damaged by human impacts. Many of these rivers and coastal areas are plagued by toxins, pollutants, and trash, which can negatively impact human health, local economies, and harm precious wildlife. Monitoring water quality for a wide range of pollutants and pathogens is beyond the capacity of most communities and researchers.

Instead, scientists look for sentinel species, which are animals that are used to monitor environmental conditions. Often, they are sensitive to negative environmental conditions and can be infected by the same parasites as humans. Tracking these sentinel animals is generally easier than making lots of water quality measurements and can often provide lots of information about the health of the environment. The Chesapeake Bay Otter Alliance is developing a program to use river otters as sentinels of water quality and ecosystem health in the Mid-Atlantic region.

River otters are sensitive to toxins like mercury and PCBs, which are also harmful to human health. The presence of otters in rivers and coastal areas is generally a sign of good water quality and healthy waterways. Additionally, river otters eat many of the same seafood species that people do, including oysters, clams, white perch, and shad. By studying what the river otters eat within our local waters, we can learn what parasites, pathogens, and pollutants these food sources might be carrying that not only impact the river otters but could also be harmful for people.

Help us track river otter sightings! Because our research team can’t be everywhere at once, we want to engage with volunteers and communities to help map and learn about river otters. Volunteers can help by reporting river otters that they see. We are also working with school groups to study river otter diets and look for parasites. We’ll be able to share results from the project to help communities know more about the health of their local waterways and potential public health risks.