Just by eating sea urchins and destructive shellfish, sea otters are keeping kelp forests healthy and coastal erosion at bay.

Aquarium researchers found that in Northern and Southern California, within the last century, the kelp forest has declined drastically by 63 and 52 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, in Central Cali… ...

Stewards of the kelp forests: New research reveals how sea otters dramatically influence the climate Otters help garden carbon-absorbing forests that protect coastlines. But they're vulnerable to ...

They can usually be found on the coast, relaxing on the water surface. There are two subspecies: the northern sea otter, ...

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 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 ...

To start a kelp-based grooming session, an orca places the bull kelp stipe on its face and nuzzles against another killer ...

Sea otters could, in part, manage the population of purple sea urchins while simultaneously helping to restore kelp forests that we desperately need.

When a mother sea otter needs to hunt for food, she carefully wraps her pup in a protective blanket of seagrass or kelp to keep them from drifting away with the ocean current.

South of the San Francisco Bay, however, healthier kelp forests still coat the coasts and give life to California’s iconic sea otters.

It’s Sea Otter Awareness Week, which has been recognized for more than two decades. It started as a way to inform people about the vital role these animals play in coastal marine ecosystems.

Aquarium researchers found that in Northern and Southern California, within the last century, the kelp forest has declined drastically by 63 and 52 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, in Central Cali… ...