Adapting to their Aquatic Environment: The Habitat Development of Sea Otters in Kelp Forests

The vast and vibrant kelp forests that stretch along the North Pacific coastline are not only a spectacle of nature but also a bustling ecosystem teeming with life. These brown macroalgae, capable of growing up to 50 meters in length and photosynthesising sunlight into organic material, provide a home for a variety of species, including fish, seals, seabirds, and invertebrates such as molluscs, lobsters, and sea urchins.

Among the most intriguing inhabitants of these kelp forests are the sea otters, scientifically known as Enhydra lutris. These charismatic creatures inhabit the North Pacific coastline, ranging from Japan, Russia, Alaska, and California. While they can be found in various marine environments, they prefer kelp forests due to the food and shelter they offer.

Sea otters are considered keystone species, their impact on their community or ecosystem being large and disproportionately large relative to their abundance. They play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the kelp forest ecosystem. For instance, sea urchins, a common food source for sea otters, are one of the greatest threats to many kelp forests, especially in temperate parts of the ocean. Overgrazing from sea urchins can lead to the creation of urchin barrens, causing the loss of many species that rely on kelp for food and shelter.

However, the presence of sea otters can help prevent this. Sea otters quickly recolonize their former range due to the abundance of sea urchins in overgrazed urchin barrens. By consuming sea urchins, sea otters help control their population, allowing kelp forests to regrow and flourish.

The health of sea otters is entangled with the health of the kelp forest ecosystem they inhabit. Sea otters living in areas with healthy kelp forests need to consume fewer sea urchins to meet their basic needs compared to those in urchin barrens. This is because kelp forests sustain a more biodiverse and complex food web than urchin barrens, offering sea otters a more varied diet.

In recent years, the kelp forests of the Pacific had been publicly worried about experiencing 'irreversible degradation' due to the decline of sea otter populations. Efforts to conserve and protect these magnificent creatures have been ongoing. For example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California has been rearing and reintroducing orphaned sea otter pups since 2002. Additionally, sea otter 'translocations' have reintroduced sea otters to parts of the North Pacific such as Southeast Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and San Nicolas Island in California.

The loss of sea otters can indirectly lead to the loss of kelp forests. Hunting sea otters in parts of Alaska and Russia was banned in 1911, marking the first piece of wildlife conservation policy. This ban was a step towards recognizing the vital role sea otters play in maintaining the health of the Pacific's kelp forests and the diverse ecosystems they support.

One study in Norway found that an average piece of kelp provides habitat for 8,000 individual organisms, with some providing habitat for over 80,000. The loss of kelp forests not only affects the species that live in them directly but also the countless other species that rely on them for food and shelter.

In conclusion, the sea otter and the kelp forest form a symbiotic relationship, each relying on the other for survival. The conservation and protection of sea otters are crucial for the preservation of the diverse and complex ecosystems of the Pacific's kelp forests.

Adapting to their Aquatic Environment: The Habitat Development of Sea Otters in Kelp Forests