While working on remote Alaskan islands, he found where sea otters were absent, sea urchin populations mushroomed, overtaking kelp forests ... otters eat urchins, so kelp can regrow.

Imagine gliding through the chilly, emerald-green waters of the Pacific, sunlight flickering through waving forests of kelp.

The otters devour extraordinary amounts of sea urchins that otherwise would gobble up the kelp that grows in profusion off the state’s central coast, and kelp forests, in turn, are home to ...

Below the ocean surface, there’s another type of forest is in danger: the kelp forests ... in place the Otter Force One can still be used by human divers to improve their urchin-gathering ...

Want to help California’s kelp forests? Eat ... sea stars To save kelp forests, scientists try breeding sea stars Massive marine die-off in Russia could threaten endangered sea otters, other ...

Adorably fuzzy sea otters aren’t just cute. The marine mammals serve a crucial role, helping to restore the giant kelp forests they rely on by removing their top predators, the sea urchins.

A southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) foraging on a purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) in Monterey Bay, California, USA. Image by Morgan Rector. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!

by eating the sea urchins that nibble away at the plant. A study last year strengthened the link between recovering sea otter populations and the long-term health of kelp forests – the towering ...

Bringing back sunflower sea stars, which are functionally extinct in California, could help restore kelp forests off the coast, researchers say.

HABITAT: Sea otters inhabit coastal waters, usually less than half a mile from shore. Their typical haunts include precipitous rocky shores, barrier reefs, tidewater stones, and dense kelp forests ...

Below the ocean surface, there’s another type of forest is in danger: the kelp forests ... in place the Otter Force One can still be used by human divers to improve their urchin-gathering ...