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 ...

When sea otters were reintroduced along the coastlines of islands in Southern California and British Columbia, researchers ...

Sea otters play a vital role in their ecosystems by controlling sea urchin populations. Without otters, urchins can overgraze kelp forests, causing widespread destruction. By keeping urchins in check, ...

As climate change introduces new stressors on marine life around the world, researchers have discovered a surprising mitigator: the sea otter. In California, they are a key species in promoting a ...

The loss of one iconic species, sunflower sea stars, unleashed a voracious eater of seagrass habitats and upended the coastal ...

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 ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly needed boost to ...

After missing from the Oregon coast for more than a century, sea otters are getting a step closer to staging a comeback. Local tribes and nonprofits have received a $1.56 million grant to lead the ...

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 ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly-needed boost to ...