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Biology

Trophic Cascades Initiated by Sea Otter Predation on Sea Urchins

Quick fact

Sea otters are a keystone species: their predation on sea urchins protects kelp forests, which support hundreds of other species, from fish to invertebrates. Without otters, urchin populations explode and can decimate kelp, creating 'urchin barrens.'

Why this is interesting

Imagine a forest that thrives because of a furry predator. In the Pacific Ocean, sea otters hold the key to underwater forests of kelp—how?