The Warmest Coat in the Animal Kingdom, and What I Wear to Study It

About Me: I am a second-year PhD student at the University of Michigan studying environment and sustainability. My dissertation focuses on sea otter conservation in Japan and the U.S. Before becoming a UM Wolverine, I conducted sea otter research in central California for several years.

Rain or shine, sea otters are always on the move. These active creatures dive and swim for food for half the day no matter the weather, sometimes battling rough winds and choppy waves to get their meals. To help them withstand the harsh outdoors, sea otters are equipped with a unique adaptation: the densest fur coat in the animal kingdom. The coat is covered in one million hairs per square inch, trapping air that helps insulate them from the cold, volatile ocean. Without it, these animals wouldn’t be able to brave their environment or hunt for their sustenance.

Surf-fur in Japan

A warm coat goes a long way for sea otters as well as for the biologists studying them. On the shore, researchers are exposed to many of the same challenging conditions: freezing temperatures, blistering wind, and unexpected downpours. Putting up with the elements to observe otters and collect data is tough, especially since fieldwork can take hours at a time. There is no shelter, no break you can take from the weather. While in the field, I’ve been pelted with heavy hail, struggled to jot down data on rain-soaked paper, and even caught my telescope from being toppled by wind. These obstacles certainly complicate my science, but Surf-fur makes them tolerable. Their durable gear has helped me withstand whatever Mother Nature has in store, enabling me to collect observational data in comfort.

Prey eaten by Cape Kiritappu sea otters, including (A) crab, (B) clam, (C) urchin, and (D) snails.

The SurfCheck Hoodie, together with the Foul Weather Jacket and Pants, have been an essential trio for my field days. These well-made pieces have kept me dry and warm in the torrent, and the insulation they provide has been a game changer, allowing me to stay outside longer than ever. I take advantage of that extra time to carefully observe sea otters foraging in Hokkaido’s nearshore ecosystem and document the food they bring to the surface. I stand on the cliff’s edge, binoculars in one hand and pencil in the other, recording the size and number of prey, dive times, and location of focal sea otters. A foraging bout can last for hours, and I try to see them through to the end, when the otter usually concludes with a post-meal nap.

The sea otters I study live off Cape Kiritappu, a remote area in Hokkaido, Japan. Fewer than a dozen individuals make up this nascent population, which was first established about fifteen years ago. Sea otters are returning to the country after more than a century of extirpation from the commercial fur trade. To better understand what makes up their diet in their new home, I make the trek to Japan each year to gather observational data. Knowing what they are eating gives important clues about how the population is doing, offering insights as to whether food sources might be depleted or human-sea otter competition over shellfish is at play. Findings from my ongoing research can further sea otter conservation and support the continued recovery of Cape Kiritappu’s population. This work will add to what little we know about Japan’s newest coastal residents and may even pave the way for further studies that can shed critical light on the endangered species.

Surf-fur in Michigan

Off the field and back at home, Surf-fur is still my go-to garb. Living in Ann Arbor calls for a weatherproof outfit that can keep out the cold, and my jackets are built to withstand the bitter Michigan winters. Not just good windbreakers on the coast, the SurfCheck and Foul Weather Jackets are a perfect combo for inclement Midwestern weather. They’ve kept me warm through heavy snow and biting wind, allowing me to comfortably walk around the UM campus even when temperatures drop below zero.

A snow day at the UM campus clad in my Surf-fur.

No matter where my sea otter research takes me, whether to Michigan or the other side of the world, Surf-fur will be there. I’ve come to depend on the gear to get me through the elements, and it’s hard to imagine myself enduring torrential days in the field or at a school without it. Just like a sea otter needs its fur coat, this biologist can’t live without her Surf-fur!

A peek inside what I carry in my Surf-fur 30 Liter Dry Bag during field season.