Experts stunned by discovery in kelp forest decades after studying lives of sea otters: 'An impact which cascades throug

[Judi Lynn]

Experts stunned by discovery in kelp forest decades after studying lives of sea otters: 'An impact which cascades through the ecosystem'

Jenna Reilly
Sat, July 27, 2024 at 4:30 AM CDT·2 min read



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 findings, published in PLOS Climate, indicate that a dense otter population helps kelp forests grow even in spite of environmental threats. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, this correlation is due largely to otters' eating habits.

Sea otters have a high metabolism, which causes them to eat about a quarter of their weight in food every day. One of their favorite dishes happens to be sea urchins, which feed on kelp. Otters control the sea urchin population, stopping them from destroying the kelp forests.

After researchers examined kelp maps from the California coast spanning about 100 years, they noticed that while the Northern coast saw a 63% kelp decline and the Southern coast experienced a 52% decline, the Central California coast had a 58% increase. The researchers determined that the main cause for the kelp thriving was sea otters.

More:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/experts-stunned-discovery-kelp-forest-093000516.html

[Botany]

1. Thanx for posting

Ecology works

[ms liberty]

2. K&R n/t

[niyad]

3. KNR and thank you for this fascinating find.

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. Let nature run the show and everything is fine, get people involved and it goes to shit.

[japple]

7. Exactly, which is why beavers are now

bring reintroduced to areas of the US where their species had been wiped out.

[flying_wahini]

11. I have to add here that I live in Fort Worth and I saw a beaver swimming here last week.

Swimming in a creek in an old city park area! Even got a photo of it. No, not a nutria.
A Beaver! I was shocked to say the least.

[JoeOtterbein]

5. K n R for...

...Otters!

[et tu]

6. kelp also helps with carbon capture

hopefully cleaning up the ocean [our job]
would also help tremendously~
ty for posting!

[JMCKUSICK]

8. Blue Planet II covered this in 2017 in

Detail courtesy of David Attenborough and the BBC

[wiggs]

10. Yes...this dynamic has been well known for a long time, and one of the reasons otters

were relocated to north of santa barbara from socal, for years: fewer otters = less kelp = less dead kelp on beaches in front of socal beach hotels

New ocean studies always welcome!

Seems like lots more kelp off coast of s orange county compared to years ago (annecdotally...due to a teacher planting kelp a few years ago, plus new no-take no fishing zones). Great snorkeling...seeing sea stars and abalone again.

[Martin68]

9. There are countless connections and networks in nature. We have barely scratched the surface in figuring

them out so far. Discoveries like this are always fascinating.