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 saw kelp forests return to areas that were destroyed by sea urchins. But how ...

Some animals matter so much to their ecosystems that losing them is like removing the keystone from an arch—the entire ...

Monterey Bay Aquarium researchers strengthen the link between sea otters and long-term health of California kelp forests in a new study released today. The paper, published in the journal PLOS Climate ...

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 ...

A sea otter floating above ribbons of kelp is undoubtedly one of nature’s cutest scenes. It’s well known that the marine mammals help make these sea surface ‘pillows’ more abundant, by eating the sea ...

When people talk about sea otters, the words “cute,” “cuddly,” and “curious” often come to mind. But now you can add another descriptor to that list -- climate change fighters. Along the West Coast ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. On October 1, 2009, in Monterey, ...

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 ...

You’ve likely seen those heartwarming images of darling little sea otters floating on their backs with their tiny hands clasped together as they bob along the waves. It’s super cute of course, but why ...

If you’ve ever walked a beach in South Puget Sound, you’ve seem them — long, brown tendrils that look like they could do some damage if someone used them as a whip. They’re called bull kelp, and they ...