Kelp is a large, brown algae that lives in relatively shallow waters close to shore. They grow in large groups that resemble forests on land. These kelp forests are important because they contain a ...

Researchers examining a century of ocean maps made an exciting discovery linking sea otter populations to kelp forests: Where sea otters thrive, so do these critical underwater habitats. The research ...

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 ...

SAUSALITO, California (KPIX) — The health of the ocean off the Northern California coast is in trouble, as biologists have seen a massive die-off of the kelp forests that are essential to a healthy ...

MONTEREY — Within the last century, the recovery of southern sea otters, the unofficial mascot of Central California, has contributed to the health of California’s underwater forests according to a ...

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 ...

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 ...

A southern sea otter (not Otter 841!) enjoys the seafood bounty among the kelp a few yards from West Cliff Drive, near Indicators Surf Break, in Santa Cruz. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ...

With their roly-poly bodies, child-like eyes, long whiskers and tiny padded paws, otters are some of the most charismatic animals in nature. But while being cute doesn't serve much purpose in the wild ...

MONTEREY — Within the last century, the recovery of southern sea otters, the unofficial mascot of Central California, has contributed to the health of California’s underwater forests according to a ...