Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem

by Patricia Newman

In Elkhorn Slough, an inlet on the California coast, seagrass grows healthy and strong in the shallow water. This healthy seagrass baffled marine biologist Brent Hughes. The scientist expected this estuary to be overrun with algae, causing the seagrass to die. Why was the seagrass thriving?



As Brent investigated, signs pointed to an unexpected player helping to keep the seagrass healthy: sea otters! What do these top predators have to do with an aquatic grass at the opposite end of the food chain? Brent's amazing discovery gave scientists insight into the delicate balance of ecosystems. Follow science in action as Brent conducts the research that led to this major discovery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Nature, Childrens

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Writing for children is the hardest thing I’ve ever done—the field is intensely competitive. But I write because I can’t imagine not writing. I write for myself and for the kids who read my work. I write for the joy of seeing a kid sitting in the front row at a school visit, hand stretched high to answer my questions. I write for the kid who tells me he already owns one of my books and has read it 15 times.

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 5 out of 5]

On my last birthday, the family took a boat ride tour of the Elkhorn Slough to see the sea otters. Otters have been my favorite animal ever since I saw a video about river otters on The Magical World of Disney TV show in 1954.

Over the years, I have seen many otters in zoos and many sea otters along the coast of California, but I've only seen one river otter in the wild. It was in Vancouver, Canada. The wife and I were high on a hill overlooking the Squamish River, and we got to watch a river otter swim several miles down stream from one bend in the river to the next. Fortunately, we had binoculars with us.

Sea Otter Heroes is a great book to learn about sea otters, ecosystems, and scientific methodologies.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea Otter Heroes has an interesting story to tell. Brent Hughes uses the scientific method to solve a coastal mystery. Why was the sea grass in California’s Elkhorn Slough (pronounced Slew) flourishing when it should have been dead or covered with slimy algae. The farms in the area used pesticides which ran off into the slough and promoted algae growth. He tried again and again to determine why. He began from the bottom up as scientists usually do, but eventually, he used data from a tour boat captain and began to look top down, specifically, the Sea Otters. After many tests and experiments, Brent came to the following conclusion. It turns out that otters eat crabs that eat sea hares that eat algae growing on the grass. Because algae blocks sea grass photosynthesis, the expectation that the sea grass would die does not happen. When more otters eat more crabs, more sea hares survive to eat more algae, resulting in healthier sea grass—a process called trophic cascade. This same process was evident in Yellowstone when the wolves were brought back and the ecosystem became healthier.

The book is not for young children as there is a lot of text and detail, but certainly middlegrade students studying ecosystems would get a lot out of this book. The photographs add so much to the book and make it easier to understand. A good book to have in school and public libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific resource for children interested in science and nature. This book is well-organized and informative, and the writing is clear without every being condescending. The book explains not just the characteristics of sea otters and their role in their ecosystem, but also other plants and animals in the environment, the history of human interaction with the otters, the individual scientists who study them now, and even the different steps of the scientific method. It covers a lot of ground without being long-winded, and it's never boring. I know I'm older than the target audience, but I enjoyed it at great deal as well. Fun and educational!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newman follows marine biologist Brent Hughes's study of Elkhorn Slough, which grew healthy sea grass while other inlets in similar conditions suffered. Hughes's research revealed that the presence of sea otters, the local apex predator, enabled the slough to flourish. An insightful, detailed look at research processes and the workings of ecosystems in general and how its inhabitants affect it at every level.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating. Brent Hughes discovered that the seagrass in Elkhorn Slough was healthy despite the pesticides that washed from nearby farms into the water. He wondered how this could be. He did a lot of research, came up with several hypotheses, tested them and ultimately found something that shocked him. The presence of sea otters kept the seagrass healthy. Sea otters eat large crabs. When sea otters aren't present, the crabs flourish and they eat sea hares. But sea hares clean the seagrass by eating the algae that begins to grow on them in polluted water. So sea otters protect the seagrass. It was fascinating to read about his process of discovery and to read about sea otters and their impact on their ecosystem and sea otters' history. The book includes wonderful photographs to support the text and add visual interest. The text is a lengthy picture book (geared for about 3rd grade on up, I would say) but well worth reading.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Siebert Honor title. It was exciting, and directly challenges the reader to try some activities and experiments. It keeps the reader interested by presenting it as a mystery that needs detecting. Now that is how to get young people involved in science! Make it attractive to do, say by using the mystery concept to hook kids! The scientist, who was studying for his PhD, could not figure out why the sea grass in the Elkhorn Slough (pronounced slew!) was healthy when it was in the middle of extreme pollution runoff. He started to investigate and made some amazing discoveries, resulting in a concept called trophic cascades. The apex predator in an ecosystem can be the initiator of a trophic cascade, which means that the apex predator doesn't just affect its prey negatively but can positively and negatively, directly and indirectly, affect many other members of an ecosystem in ways that were simply not understood before. This has drastically increased the complexity of the interactions within an ecosystem. It means that removing the apex predator can result in harm being done to other inhabitants of an ecosystem, instead of just assuming that removing the apex predator will help the species that is the prey to the apex predator. This book explains how the scientist made this discovery and how he proved his hypothesis to be correct. I recommend this to science teachers to read to their classes or assign it as reading to kids. And anyone who just loves sea otters should read this as well!

[Caurie Kuzelka]

I would use this book about Sea Otters to teach a lesson in Science class about animals and how the effect and help (or harm) their ecosystems.

Bloom's Taxonomy:

Remembering: What did scientists expect the Seagrass to be doing?

Understanding: Why wasn't the Seagrass dying off from algae like scientists expected?

Applying: Can you think of another living organism in an ecosystem that helps out their environment?
Answer: Bees help pollinate the flowers and plants so that they don't all die and they can prosper
much like how the Sea Otters help prevent the Seagrass from dying.

Analyzing: What motive is there for the Sea Otters to save the Seagrass?

Evaluating: Would it be better if the Sea Otters had no effect on the Seagrass?

Creating: Create a new story, doesn't have to be real, about how an organism unexpectedly saved an ecosystem.
Answer: The giraffes in Africa eat the leaves off the tall trees. Since the tell trees have no leaves, the safari they live on doesn't get over crowded with heavily forested areas and thick trees and plants. This helps keep the habitat intact so that the animals that live there continue to thrive.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I was small, nature has fascinated me. Learning about it gave me the feeling of awe, that the world was so much bigger than me, and infinitely miraculous.
I still have that feeling today, as I read about sea otters saving an ecosystem. This is a book for any budding naturalist to enjoy, and the great thing about it, is that it can provide learning and activities for whole families.
From this book, we learn that all life makes a difference, and the connections we cannot at first see are often the ones that are vital to our wellbeing.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for Librarian Book Group
This is the kind of book that makes me glad that Librarian Book Group feeds me a steady supply of nonfiction picture books.  I wouldn't be up for reading an entire nonfiction book about Sea Otters and their effects on a slough, but this was exactly the amount of cool information I wanted to take in.  It's also very informative in not very many words.

[Rachel]

Content Area Crossover: Science. This book could be great for learning about ecosystems.
Remembering: Where did the marine biologist Brent Hughes grow up?
Understanding: Can you describe how sea otters almost went extinct?
Applying: Can you predict other ways that the seagrass could’ve been affected (if you didn’t know that sea otters had caused it)?
The seagrass could’ve been affected by pollution (or lack thereof), global warming (or lack thereof), increased human traffic, or temperature just to name a few.
Analyzing: Point out the reasons why the sea otter population was moved to the Elkhorn Slough in 1984.
Evaluating: Do you think sea otters eating the sea urchin population is a good or a bad thing?
It’s a good thing, because if the sea urchin population was allowed to grow unchecked it would hurt the ecosystem by consuming too much kelp.
Creating: Choose a plant that is endangered or threatened. Design a ecosystem that could increase the population of that plant by adding an animal.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned so much about otters! This is a super informative book with delightful otter photos. It's a tiny bit dry, but not too bad and would be great for a school project.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! I was not expecting to be so wowed or learn so much. A definite add to my library.

[Rylee Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't want to read a book about cute animals? I am a sucker for them! I love learning facts about animals and so this book was really neat. There were many cute photos too!

[Brandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject that i would cross reference this book to would be science because of the studies and experiments and facts present. my list of questions are as follows:
1. Remembering: Recall how much sea otters need to eat?
2.Understanding: Describe why the seagrass flourished in the Elkhorn Slough?
3. Applying: Illustrate how otters are built to hunt?
4. Analyzing: Categorize a chart of the food chain that keeps the ecosystem going for otters?
5. Evaluating: Estimate the quality of seagrass or seahares without otters?
6.Creating: Propose a plan to extend the life and homes of sea otters?

Answers: Applying- They have tiny ears near the back of the head that close while diving, they have sensitive nose that helps them smell other animals and prey, they have sharp teeth to help they tear prey, flap of skin under their arms that act as a reusable shopping bag to carry food and shells, long and short wiskers to help sense vibrations in water, an strong front paws to help them find food.
Evaluating: The quality of seagrass and seahares with an environment with otters is extremely high and nourishing. Their are a lot more seahares in an environment with otters than without otters. The seagrass in an environment with otters is fresh and clean producing a lot of natural food and energy for the organisms in the water. Otters keep our ecosystem clean and fresh.

[Andrea Pershing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this text because I feel like it would be a great book for a science lesson about animals. The book does a great job of telling of every aspects of an otters life, and have great text features such as captions, text boxes, and even a glossary. The twin text I chose for this was Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas
Cox, L., & Floca, B. (2016). Elizabeth, queen of the seas. Nelson, New Zealand: Potton & Burton.

I chose this book as the twin text because I think it would be a great support book to read in the middle of one of the chapters in the Sea Otter Heroes book. Non-fiction texts can get a little dense at times, so to provide the readers with a fun fictional story is a nice game changer. Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas tells the story of a sea lion named Elizabeth and the story of how she lives in a river in New Zealand. She gets into the road and the citizens of the town try to take her to her actual habitat, the ocean, but she keeps finding her way back to the river to her "real" home. It tells some facts about sea lions, like physical features such as whiskers and smooth skin, similar to how the otters are described in the non-fiction. It also gives insight to what sea lions natural habit is.

For these twin texts I would use KWL charts. Some readers probably have some background knowledge on what otters and sea lions are, but some may not. It would be interesting to see what they would still like to know. I would first read a chapter or two of the non-fictional text, and then read the fiction text.

[Tara Schloetter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tells the journey of a marine biologist, Brent Hughes, who discovered a link between the amount of seagrass in the ocean and the amount of sea otters living in the area. I chose to read this book because of the title and the front cover, so I thought this book would be focused on facts and information on sea otters. On the contrary, this book discusses one man’s scientific experiment in depth, which happens to be about sea otters. There are some facts about sea otters sprinkled throughout the book, which are often found as captions on pictures, but besides that this book’s focus is on the mystery of seagrass and why it flourishes in some sloughs and doesn’t do well in other sloughs. I would not use this book as a read aloud because it is very text heavy. However, this book could be helpful if a student was doing a project on sea otters or learning about environments and factors that can effect different environments.

[Penny Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This terrific photo-filled book is especially relevant for libraries in California, as it explains on sea otters in the Monterey area positively affected the local ecosystem. By focusing on the young scientist Brent who did a project in the Elkhorn Slough for his graduate studies, readers can find out how scientists do studies, as well as the subject of the study which was the effect the sea otters had on the slough. This is similar to the "Scientists in the Field" series, but this is easier to read. It has maps, sidebars, one science project, an index, bibliography, glossary, and source notes. Even a struggling third or fourth grade reader can read much of the text and would certainly enjoy the color photos.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In most ways, this is an excellent science book about the interconnectedness of a ecosystem, and if one creature is removed, how the entire system can break down. This happened in the early 1900s, when almost all of the sea otters were exterminated in an inlet in California. Only by reintroducing the otters into the area was the ecosystem able to revive. But, again with the evolution! These kind of integrated ecosystems have to have been designed by a Creator. The photos are gorgeous and excellent. Backmatter includes a science experiment, source notes, a glossary, an extensive bibliography, and an index.

[Caitlin Riley]

Summary:

A young scientist begins studying the sea grass that grows at the bottom of a slough in California, but notices something strange, why does some of it have algae while some does not, and why is some of it able to thrive in such nutrient rich water? Wouldn’t all of it have algae and begin to die, as usually happens when a body of water contains too many nutrients? Maybe not. However, Brent has to figure this out quickly. What an amazing discovery! Brent decides to begin by studying both the sea grass and the animals around it, including one of the areas top predators, the sea otter. It seems like the areas in which the sea otters are present produce thriving sea grass! How is this possible? Brent goes through multiple trials and levels of simulating and experimenting with the two different types of environments in the slough to soon but only with hard work, figure out that the sea otters are eating a predator to the tiny creatures which eat the algae off the seagrass! It’s the power of the food chain at work!



Evaluation:

This book is a must have for any elementary school classroom but particularly the upper grades (3-5) as a book for students to explore on their own or with peers or for the teacher to use for short read alouds in the science classroom. With it’s photographic illustrations and information rich writing, this book is full of information about how scientists perform investigations and experiments as well as information about how the food chain works with producers and consumers, etc. Students are also exposed to the true form and set up of a nonfiction informational text with all its features including informational text boxes, photographs, a glossary, an index, etc. and are given the opportunity to explore factual information and writing. This book is a wonderful chance for students to explore nature at work!



Teaching Idea:

S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.

Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.

This book could be a read aloud by the teacher over the course of a couple weeks to cover the above standard.. It could be incorporated with or without other shorter texts into a unit about the food chain providing a unique perspective of how the food chain works and why it matters to scientists and to us. The teacher could engage in a daily read aloud with students, reading a little bit of this book each day and incorporating it into the day’s lesson. Students could keep a science journal and record notes pretending like they are performing the investigation that Brent performs in the book. Each page could be labeled with titles such as “sea otters,” “sea grass,” “crabs (big and small),” etc. and students could draw illustrations and write information that they find out about each part or member of the slough’s environment. Students could also do hands on activities to best simulate the experiments and investigations that Brent performed and build models using representative items. Students could also build other types of models representing the food chain. Finally, students could create their own cover for the journal using a variety of different materials.

[Tiffany Erickson]

Summary:
Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem outlines a marine biologist’s research. This biologist, Brent Hughes, observe the Elkhorn Slough ecosystem in California was thriving. Because this was extremely uncharacteristic for the location, Hughes was intrigued. After field work, experiments, observations and research was conducted, Hughes discovered the key component in the regenerated health of the ecosystem: otters.

Evaluation:
The writing in this text is completely factual, direct and straightforward. The text outlines the Brent Hughes’ research and discovery in chronological order. The text is long, but is organized in a chapter format with descriptive titles. Since it is long, this text is best read in stages, only specific chapters, or reading excerpts. The concepts in the text are presented in understandable and well-defined terms. The language of the text is high-quality and academic. Most terms are followed with an example in an illustration or in text, but some terms may need further explanation. All the illustrations are primary photographs, so readers are given the opportunity to see nature up-close. Likewise, students will enjoy seeing the beautiful pictures of an animal that is relatively unfamiliar and not often seen. The pictures make the text much more interesting.
Although I loved looking at the picture in this text, but I didn’t enjoy this book because I felt overwhelmed with information. It was a hard book for me to finish because I kept losing focus. Unless the reader has a strong interest in otter, this Elkhorn Slough ecosystem, to marine biology, I do not think a student would stay interested while reading book.

Teaching Idea:
Because the text is so long and about one animal, I do not think this book should be read aloud in class. However, I think it could be a book students can choose from to complete a presentation. This text could be incorporated when fourth-grade students learn about ecosystems. The teacher could provide students this nonfiction text and other about animals in different habitats. Students could work in partners or small groups to create a presentation about one animal. The teacher could assign students to specific animals, have groups draw names out of a hat, or allow students to choose. The teacher could provide a checklist for information that should be included in their presentation. The checklist could include topics such as: diet, life span, predators, habitat, ecosystem, or interesting facts. The teacher should also allow students to choose to mode of their presentation. Some possible presentation types could include a podcast, blog, skit, power point, movie, or poster. The activity allows students to research one animal and ecosystem, learn about multiple other animals and ecosystem, collaborate with other students, and present in front of the class, which is a Speaking and Listening Standard.

[Allison]

Summary:
Sea Otter Heroes is a non-fiction next text, that tells the story of the mystery behind the healthy growth of sea grass, within one of the most polluted ecosystems in the Unites States. The story takes place in Elkhorn Slough, California and no one can discover as to why the sea grass within this polluted area seems to be flourishing, given its environment. A marine biologist, by the name of Brent Hughes, decides to take on this investigation and dive deep into the truth behind this astonishing occurrence. He tests his own hypotheses and compares various solutions and factors that could directly affect the growth and well-being of the sea grass population. However, he comes to one possible solution, sea otters. The sea otter species seems to have a direct affect upon the flourishment of the seagrass population. Brent, along with his intuitive team embark on a journey to answer as to why sea otters seem to play such a large role within the growth and nourishment of this particular ecosystem.
Evaluation:
This non-fiction text was highly informational, and allowed me to see a clear representation, through visual-aids and charts, as to how an ecosystem is directly and indirectly impacted by the organisms, plants, and land forms that surround that particular areas. The text included a variety of photographs and illustrations to engage readers within the topic, as well as told the concept of ecological growth and nourishment, through the progression of a story line. Students followed along Brent’s mystery, and felt apart of his findings, rather than the text simply displaying cold hard facts. The text had a great amount of text-features, which are incredibly helpful for young readers and are a standard for understanding. I feel as if this text would be perfect within a fourth or fifth grade class and can be used to teach the concept of forming their own hypotheses and investigations.
Teaching point:
A lesson that I would teach for this particular non-fiction text, would be an introduction to teaching students the scientific method. Throughout Brent’s journey, he displays each step that occurs throughout the use of the scientific method, such as asking questions, making observations, forming a hypothesis, conducting controlled experiments, analyzing data, and recording your results. I feel as if students will have a better understanding of this particular concept, when they are shown how a real scientist, such as Brent, performs each of these areas during his research and study of the sea otters and their impact on the ecosystem. Students could initially write down each of the steps of the scientific method that Brent performs on a chart, to assist them later on, when they are asked to conduct their own investigation.

[Margarita Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea Otter Heroes
Bloom's Taxonomy Questions

1. Remembering: State some of the sea otters’ characteristics that allow it to survive in the wild life. (page 25)
2. Understanding: Summarize the effect the chemical fertilizers have on the seagrass, air quality and the fishing industry. (page 7)
3. Applying: How could we help prevent the negative effects of the chemical fertilizers without affecting the farmers plantation routines?
4. Analyzing: Identify some positive or negative outcomes that could arise with having no seagrass along the shorelines. Answer: Some negative outcomes that can arise from not having the seagrass on the shorelines could be a decrease in fish; the sea grass is referred to as the ‘nursery’ since it is a safe haven for smaller fish to seek shelter in, affecting the fishing industry as well. The seagrass calms the waves which without them would cause chaos in our coastlines creating erosion and rising sea levels, which would cause more flooding’s and damage.
5. Evaluating: Compare the almost disappearance of the sea otters to the animals today. (page 11) The book states that in 1741, ‘a group of Russian explorers became shipwrecked’ which led them to an island where the sea otters called home. Having nothing else to eat, the settlers began to eat the otters, as well as use them for their pelts and profit off of them, killing them almost to extinction. After setting in stone a policy to help save the otters, they saw a comeback of the otters. In today’s day and age, our world’s climate is so bad due to global warming that we have seen multiple animals go extinct within the last 20 years, but also because of the normalization of trophy hunting. Using sharks, and elephants, and rhinos and giraffes and so forth for the privilege of taking pictures, winning awards and creating taxidermy out of them. These animals could be saved with the help of government officials putting in place a policy to help save them from extinction and hunting, like the sea otters, so future generations can live to see them.
6. Creating: Propose a community outreach program at your school that focuses on building a better relationship with wildlife, and reach out to a community establishment that already focuses on environmental rehabilitation to partner with them.

Possible content crossover: science and social studies to show the lifecycle, environments, and the way each living thing plays a role in the community. Teach about how although things are legal, they may not be the right thing to be doing (trophy hunting).

[Ms. Jaimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sea Otters may be the world’s most adorable apex predators.
Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators that Saved an Ecosystem tells their story in a way built to please kids and adults alike.

Today’s students are in the enviable position of having the opportunity to learn about groundbreaking science happening simultaneous to them learning about it. While many dramatic discoveries can be observed online, it is absent the context students need to truly understand.

As a middle grade teacher, I appreciate the way Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators that Saved an Ecosystem frames science. Among my (many) goals as a teacher is to move students from a place of seeing science as a topic settled long ago, a topic they study to learn what others have discovered, to a place where they recognize science as an dynamic field that they could pursue to make discoveries of their own. This is clearly a stance valued by author, Patricia Newman, and her subject, marine biologist Dr. Brent Hughes.

Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators that Saved an Ecosystem manages to relate the complete story arc of scientific discovery--including multiple disproved hypotheses and how studying data disproved them, all in 56 pages. Newman even includes the graphs showing how the data don’t correlate, which makes the graph revealing a positive correlation all the more powerful.

The final chapter connects this fascinating Sea Otter microcosm to the bigger picture, to new understandings about ecology, while leaving open the possibility of all there is still to discover about how healthy ecosystems work and how the management of human activity might contribute to their restoration. And for those ready to dive deeper, the back matter is rich with resources for the budding marine biologist or ecologist.

One final thing I love about Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators that Saved an Ecosystem? Listen to this introductory paragraph: “What does a playful sea otter have to do with flowering seagrass that grows underwater? While they share an ocean home, one is a mammal and the other is a plant. One eats crab and fish. The other uses photosynthesis to make food. One frolics in the sea. The other sways to an underwater rhythm.” Finding a “science book” that can be used as a mentor text for writing is priceless.

I’m so grateful to have found Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators that Saved an Ecosystem.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem by Patricia Newman is a non fiction book for children and adults. Marine biologist Brent Hughes didn't think sea otters and sea grass had much in common. But his research at Elkhorn Slough, an estuary on Monterey Bay in northern California, revealed a new and surprising connection between the two. The scientist expected this estuary to be overrun with algae due to the fertilizer runoff from surrounding fields. But it wasn't. Why?

Sea Otter Heroes goes into well organized and worded detail about the hows and whys behind Brent Hughes investigating why Elkhorn Slough was not overrun with algae like other similar locations. What inspired him and how he went about the research is an important portion of the book, with made me happy. Too often, books explore scientific mysteries or studies leave this important part of the story out. I liked that readers got to see how complex and layered the effort was to discover what made this particular slough different than others, and how the research and studies were hard but satisfying work. I loved the information that was presented, and how the images were used to further connect the reader to the information, bringing everything into a clearer focus. As someone that spends a good portion of the summer loving the ocean, and loves all animals I was interested and enthralled with the read. As the mother of a young animal lover that has been insistent for years that she is going to take care of wild animals as a career, I found that this book offered her further inspiration for that desire. Furthermore, the book offered a better understanding of ecosystems and the nature of scientific research and studies that are needed to make that kind of job possible and effective.

Sea Otter Heroes is a great book for exploring how studies like this are done, and how seemingly little changes in the environment can have very important effects on the ecosystem. It is well organized, interesting, and understandable read that might inspire young readers to be out future scientists or simply more aware of the environment and how interconnected the individual creatures- regardless of size- can impact each other.

[Taylor Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This non-fiction book is about the Elkhorn Slough in the Monterey Bay. This bay is located in California. The author, Patricia Newman, wrote the book about a marine biologist named Brent Hughes and his investigations. The book focuses on topics such as the history of the bay, seagrass, collecting data and evidence, and how otters are beneficial to the seagrass. Brent Hughes’ main scientific focus was finding out how the seagrass in the Monterey Bay was “flourishing”. Hughes noticed that there was an abundant amount of otters in the bay. He discovered that sea otters ate the crabs which were eating the sea hares. Sea hares help keep the seagrass healthy. Thanks to the sea otters they helped the bay’s ecosystem thrive.

Evaluation:
This book was easy and a good book to read. It would be a good book to use for reading, writing, and science. The some of the real life pictures are cute and informative. The author does a good job picking out specific colors that coincide with the book. Plus who doesn’t like to learn about animals that could be heroes?

Teaching Idea:
On Patricia Newman’s website, she has an abundant amount of lessons for teachers to use for the different books she has written. For this particular book, she lists some key vocabulary. It would be fun to have the students fill in a vocabulary sheet where they try to listen and summarize what each word means. She suggests doing a summarizing activity, but I think having students research more about sea otters would be a fun activity since students like to learn about animals. If the teacher wants to make this research project a little more difficult the students could research about what an ecosystem is. The students could have a choice to either make a poster or powerpoint. The teacher should create a rubric to show the students how she is grading their projects.. This activity could be done in small groups or individually. The teacher could also find an informational video on sea otters or ecosystems for students to watch.
(https://www.patriciamnewman.com/wp-co...)

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Patricia Newman I have read. Her book Plastic Ahoy is a 100% must read. I am now a huge fan. I will read every title of hers.

Sea Otter Heroes: The predators that Saved an ecosystem explains scientific inquiry in a very easy-to-follow story. Scientist Brent Hughes was puzzled by healthy sea grass living in an environment experiencing lots of agricultural pesticide run-off. How could that be? The book walks through his process of his inquiry and discovery with terrific visuals to help the reader understand unusual vocabulary, like sea hare and mesocosm. Indeed, without those terrific visuals, I would have had a hard time understanding what either of them look like with text alone. I also loved that a visual was used to sum up the scientific process. That particular visual is called Think Like A Scientist.

The author included a couple details that fascinate. 1) an otter has to eat 25% of his body weight daily. Wouldn't that be fun? 2) sperm whales have nearly liquid poop. I'll admit I never have thought about whale poop before, but I guess I'm glad it's easily dissipated!

I loved all of the specific biological vocabulary and did learn words new to me like mesocosm. How do ESL students do reading this with so much scientific-specific vocabulary? That would be my only worry about this book. There is a useful glossary in the back. Even though it written for 8-12 year old native speakers, this book may get more use in an ESL high school with students of more advanced vocabulary, than in an ESL middle school.

I appreciated that the text contained the information that are other ocean ecosystems: kelp forests, mangrove forests, and salt marshes. There are so many threads in this book that can inspire further inquiry.

Kudos to the Millbrook Press graphic designers for creating a gorgeous title that has been thoughtfully laid out in a way that promotes understanding.

[Courtney Vandiver]

Summary: Seagrass is thriving in one of the most nutrient polluted ecosystems in the United States, Elkhorn Slough, located in northern California. No one can seem to figure out why the seagrass in this particular estuary is doing so well. Marine biologist Brent Hughes is on the quest to discover what is helping the seagrass population thrive in this ecosystem. He embarks on a journey testing his own hypotheses and relying on the mentorship of others discovers one particular animal that seems to be having a direct affect on the seagrass, sea otters. Sea Otters seem to be the answer to this puzzling mystery, and Brent and his team set out to prove why.

Evaluation: This non-fiction book was very informative. It is a book that needs to be read sequentially in order to understand what is going on. There are pictures on almost every page that provide informative captions to go along with them. It has some great text features that students could be exposed to such as the use and bolding of sub-headings. It is a great example of forming hypotheses and then designing experiments to test those hypotheses. I think the book would go great in a fourth or fifth grade class.

Teaching Point: I would read this book aloud to students and connect it to the cause and effect element of non-fiction writing. This cause and effect theory also co-insides with a cross-cutting idea that is taught in science. I would then have students fill out a cause and effect graphic organizer, related to this book. Students should be able to understand that the cause of the abundance of seagrass was a result of all of the sea otters in the estuary eating the larger crabs. The larger crabs could then not eat as many sea hares, which keep the seagrass looking fresh, and as a result they sea grass in Elkhorn Slough is thriving.

[Samantha Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: In the Elkhorn Slough, the seagrass was thriving in an environment where it should not have been. Although the Slough has lots of pollution from fertilizer that would normally kill seagrass, this area had plenty of seagrass rich areas. Through many trials and experiments, they found out that the presence of otters is what effects the seagrass. They ate big crabs, which allowed the sea hares to eat more algae so that the seagrass wouldn't be suffocated. When the otters were not present, the crabs ate more of the sea hares, which allowed the algae to grow unchecked and killed the seagrass.
Evaluation: This book is a great book for learning about why scientists do experiments and how they do it. They discuss the scientific method with detailed steps and even has a flowchart of the method. They introduced the problem and why it concerned them. Then they found experiments to help identify what was happening in the environment and why. The illustrations showed the results in an easy to follow diagram for adults and students. This is a great teaching tool for ecosystems and the scientific method.
Teaching Ideas: This could be used for a science lesson for older students. On page 16, there is a flowchart that shows how to "think like a scientist". This could be used as a guide to help students make their own experiment and test it out. Through the use of virtual field trips, students can go to a nature preserve and make their own experiments to try and test out. After they decide what experiment they want to do, they can research and model their experiment. An example of this is trying to find out why seagrass blocks waves, so we could make a model river with seagrass and experiment why it blocks waves, then find other experiments to support what they found.

[Taylor Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sea Otters have come to save the seagrass in the Elkhorn Slough. Researches went to the waters to find out why sea grass was thriving in an area where chemical run off from plants was polluting the waters. What they found was that the sea otters were eating the big crabs that populate the area, therefor, there were more sea hares, which cleaned the sea grass, like a vacuum which led to healthier sea grass in the area, all because otters were around. This children's science book is just that. There are engaging, real life pictures, side comment bubbles that tell more about the little guys, and it is packed full of scientific terms and interesting topics.

In my opinion, this is probably one of the best Scientists in the Fields books that I have read because it is sectioned into organized chapters and was only about 45 pages long, which is plenty when students area actually reading about science. However, the book is still long and takes a while to read. This would be an amazing resource if it were a movie and the students could follow his journey, but having to read about it can get boring. However, it is very interesting and I have learned a lot from this book that I would have never known.

If I were to use this book in my classroom, we would take it chapter by chapter. First, I would put the vocabulary that the students would need to know in a document so that they could refer back to it since this book is heavy in scientific vocabulary. We would only use this book to learn about sea otters and I probably wouldn't combine it with other skills just because of its difficulty (for younger students) and this would be a good moment to teach solely on science. We may make a few predictions along the way, but that would be all in my classroom!

[Keaunna Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because I love animals and if I am going to read an informational book, I would want the book to be interesting to me. I also wanted to read the book because I don't know a lot about Sea Otters and I learned a lot through reading. I didn't have a lot of schema about Sea Otters before reading the book. The only information I have heard is when there were oil leaks. The oil leaks caused the Sea Otters to get their hair become matted. I also knew the oil caused issues with the Sea Otters kidneys. Other than those parts of information, I didn't know a lot about them. Throughout the book there were a lot of pictures with captions and I enjoyed looking at those. The pictures were very interesting and I liked reading the facts about the pictures. Within information text there is usually bold text and that showed me when a topic was important and I needed to read. There was also graphs and diagrams throughout the book and those were helpful for me because I was able to see the actual numbers. The text made me want to learn more about Sea Otters because they are interesting animals and if I had the chance to learn more I would. After I read the book I started looking up more information online. I would use this text in my classroom if we were learning about sea animals. Sine the book is a little more challenging, I would make the book a read aloud and I would read to the kids. I would have them complete a Know, Want to know, learned chart. So they would write down what they already know about Sea Otters, what they want to know, and what they learned. I learned without tall sea grass, the sea levels can rise causing issues and the fish/otters will no longer have a place to live, so sea grass is a very important aspect to live animals.