Sea otters promote recovery of seagrass beds
By Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
August 27, 2013
Recolonization of Elkhorn Slough by sea otters led to recovery and expansion of seagrass beds due to cascading effects on the food web, study finds.
by Tim Stevens, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)
Read the UCSC NewsCenter story from August 26, 2013.
Scientists studying the decline and recovery of seagrass beds in one of California's largest estuaries have found that recolonization of the estuary by sea otters was a crucial factor in the seagrass comeback. Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of August 26.