A sea otter floating above ribbons of kelp is undoubtedly one of nature’s cutest scenes. It’s well known that the marine ...

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.

sea lions, sharks and cetaceans. “Kelp forests provide all these different resources and a lot of them are fished or fishable,” Beas explains. “[But] when the kelp forest is gone ...

Every day California sea otters spend 10 to 12 hours hunting and consume nearly a third of their body weight. Suzi Eszterhas Scientists have long designated the california sea otter a “keystone ...