Researchers examining a century of ocean maps made an exciting discovery linking sea otter populations to kelp forests: Where sea otters thrive, so do these critical underwater habitats. The research ...

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 ...

Sea otters play a vital role in maintaining the balance of sensitive kelp forests. Hidden beneath the surface of our coastal seas are towering forests - of kelp. These underwater ecosystems are as ...

Along a remote stretch of the Alaskan coast, gray wolves have quietly rewritten the rules of what a top land predator eats.

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 ...

A southern sea otter (not Otter 841!) enjoys the seafood bounty among the kelp a few yards from West Cliff Drive, near Indicators Surf Break, in Santa Cruz. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ...

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 ...

Oregon is known for its forests, and they don’t stop at the beach, (“Oregon’s underwater forests are vanishing. Can they be saved?” July 23). Historically, thousands of acres of kelp forests have ...

Some animals matter so much to their ecosystems that losing them is like removing the keystone from an arch—the entire ...

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 ...

Sophia is your community news reporter covering the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County, including Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria and San Simeon. It’s Sea Otter Awareness Week, which has been ...

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 ...