The secret life of sea otters Guardians of the kelp forest
3 Video Views·May 9, 2025
🌊 Dive into the world of sea otters with Teri Nicholson, senior research biologist at Monterey Bay Aquarium, as she uncovers the crucial role these mighty marine mammals play in kelp forest ecosystems. By eating grazers (like abalone and urchins), sea otters maintain balance, helping kelp forests—and all those who depend on them—thrive.
Learn more about the impact of sea otters on kelp forests: https://mbayaq.co/3wrRcMp
Learn more about our work with sea otters: https://mbayaq.co/2H7llTY
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A hundred years ago, sea otters were thought to be extinct along the California coastline.
But thanks to people working together to protect our ocean, sea otters have been recovering over
the last century. My name is Terri Nicholson. I'm a senior research biologist at the Monterey Bay
Aquarium and my team and I study sea otters off the coast of California. And we're here today
to talk about the important role of sea otters in kelp forest ecosystems. Kelp forests are healthier
and more resilient to climate change when sea otters are living there. Sea otters are keystone
species, which just means it doesn't take that many sea otters to have a really large effect
on the kelp forest ecosystem. Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal and rely only on their fur
to stay warm in their ocean habitat. So they need to eat a lot. They have to actually eat a quarter
of their body weight every day just to stay warm and survive in their cool ocean environment.
Kelp forests are an ideal place for sea otters to find food because they provide homes and
shelter and food for all the creatures that live there. Sea otters dive down from the surface of
the ocean and they search along the bottom to find crabs, urchins, and abalone before bringing
them back to the surface to eat. Many animals eat kelp and sea otters often eat these grazers.
Without sea otters in kelp forest ecosystems, it can create incredible imbalances among the
creatures that live there, and sometimes kelp forests can disappear entirely.
By eating a lot, sea otters are helping to control grazers and maintaining healthy kelp forests.
Sea otters were thought to be extinct from overhunting during the maritime flu trade 100
years ago. But thanks to people working together to protect our ocean, sea otters have been growing
in population numbers and we've seen dramatic increases in kelp forests across central
California. Sea otters play in a very important role in balancing kelp forest ecosystems.
The return of sea otters to their historical range throughout California could help kelp
forests recover and restore their benefits to more places along the California coast.
Thanks so much for watching, and if you want to learn anything more about sea otters
and California coastal ecosystems, come visit us at MontereyBayAquarium.org.