Scientists have made an interesting discovery connecting sea otters to forest recovery, reinforcing their role as a keystone species. The researchers were then able to identify patterns, explaining ...

We are watching the end of Willapa Bay’s ecosystem in real time,” says shellfish farmer Warren Cowell, just after tallying ...

When sea otters were reintroduced along the coastlines of islands in Southern California and British Columbia, researchers saw kelp forests return to areas that were destroyed by sea urchins. But how ...

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. When ...

For more than a century, sea otters vanished from Washington’s waters, hunted to extinction. Now, their slow return is ...

Did you know sea otters can eat a quarter of their body weight in food every day? That’s hundreds of sea urchins, clams, and crabs — all cracked open with a rock balanced on their bellies. It’s one of ...

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 ...

Monterey Bay Aquarium researchers strengthen the link between sea otters and long-term health of California kelp forests in a new study released today. The paper, published in the journal PLOS Climate ...

When people talk about sea otters, the words “cute,” “cuddly,” and “curious” often come to mind. But now you can add another descriptor to that list -- climate change fighters. Along the West Coast ...

The decline of California's kelp forests since the marine heat wave of 2013–17 has seen only minor recovery despite heroic ...