The researchers were able to identify patterns. Scientists stunned by unexpected discovery while studying sea otter behavior: ...

1993). There are a number of other well-described examples where keystone species act as determinate predators. Sea otters (i) regulate sea urchin populations, which in turn feed upon kelp and ...

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.

Biologist Jim Bodkin, who studies the otters in Glacier Bay, says that "the otter is a keystone species, that it is a species that plays a pivotal role in its habitat. Scientists have been able to ...

University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy’s research has identified “keystone” plant species that make up the ...

Scientists thus consider otters “keystone species”: creatures, such as beavers, elephants and wolves, that exert disproportionate influence on the world around them. Whether otters have likewise ...

A study last year strengthened the link between recovering sea otter populations and the long-term health of kelp forests – the towering brown algae that provide food and shelter for thousands of ...

Urchins however are readily consumed by sea otters (keystone species), and by keeping urchin numbers low, otters assure that the kelp forest community remains intact. Bottom-up forces influence ...

Forestry officials who found the juvenile never imagined that their actions might determine the fate of the world's smallest ...

University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy’s research has identified “keystone” plant species that make up the foundation of many U.S. ecosystems by producing food for native insects ...