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

A southern sea otter with a purple sea urchin in Monterey Bay, California. (Credit: Morgan Rector) (CN) — Sea otters are voracious eaters, munching away on shellfish, urchins and other invertebrates ...

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, ...

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 ...

On a blue-sky afternoon, kayakers paddle past dozens of sea lions lolling in the sun and make a beeline toward the sea otters lounging on beds of eel grass at Elkhorn Slough on California’s central ...

New research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium reveals a surprising ripple effect in coastal ecosystems: the collapse of one marine predator can benefit another. Published today in the journal Science ...

Santa Cruz is a haven for newborn sea otters and their (protective) mamas, and a local expert shares the best places around ...

Sea otters are surprisingly good at using tools. If they come across a particularly tough clam shell and they are desperate ...