In the neighboring Tomales Bay, the European green crab alone has caused a clam harvesting decline of up to 40%. On the East ...

But at California’s Elkhorn Slough, a reserve where about 120 southern sea otters live, the cute apex predators have led to ...

When an invasive species of crab was threatening an entire ecosystem in Monterey County's Elkhorn Slough, an unexpected hero stepped in to save the day.

A southern sea otter in California eats crab. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the ...

Otters carry large stones between their forepaws on these dives, used to dislodge prey and to break open shells. Their diet includes clams, crabs, sea urchins, starfish, abalone, and 40 different ...

They love munching on sea urchins, which allows these lush kelp forests to thrive and support other organisms. Sea otters also eat crabs, which helps to keep eelgrass and sea slug populations healthy.

The last wild otter sighting along the coast was last June when a pair of the creatures was spotted near Cannon Beach. There's been some concern about the plan among commercial crab stakeholders.