Sea otters are critical players in marine ecosystems and are a keystone species, meaning they have a profound effect on their ...

A photographer shares the epiphanies she has had while chronicling underwater jungles off the California coast ...

Dive in, and discover how these whiskered geniuses have turned the simple rock into a powerful tool, reshaping their lives and even the fate of entire kelp forests. Sea otters, with their ...

New research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium reveals a surprising ripple effect in coastal ecosystems: the collapse of one ...

A devastating sea star plague triggered an unexpected ecological shift, creating a mussel boom that sea otters turned into a ...

The otters devour extraordinary amounts of sea urchins that otherwise would gobble up the kelp that grows in profusion off the state’s central coast, and kelp forests, in turn, are home to ...

At time when ocean reserve protections are threatened, new research shows bans on fishing made kelp ecosystems more resilient ...

New research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium reveals a surprising ripple effect in coastal ecosystems: the collapse of one ...

where other urchin nemeses — like otters, spiny lobsters and sheephead — are lacking, 96% of the region’s kelp forests vanished in the decade following the sea star collapse. “It's kind of ...

The Importance of Coral Reefs Coral reefs are often referred to as the 'rainforests of the sea' due to their immense biodiversity. These underwater structures are not only vital for marine life but ...

In 2013, a sea star wasting syndrome decimated populations of Pisaster along the west coast of North America and along the Monterey Peninsula in California, where this study was conducted. The orange ...

In 2013, a sea star wasting syndrome decimated populations of Pisaster along the west coast of North America and along the ...