Sea otters help algal forests survive

Brown algae form entire “thickets” in the oceans. They are important because they provide shelter and food for marine life and help protect shorelines from erosion.

For a century, the population density of calanas has been a major predictor of changes in algal prevalence. In regions where calanas are present, there has been an increase in algal forest. In particular, this trend has been documented in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska and Canada southward to the waters of Baja California in Mexico.