Scientist have recently noticed that the number of sea otters along the California coast has gone up. The state's sea otter population is higher than it had been in decades. Otters are very good at keeping their ocean habitats healthy and play a role in protecting the planet from pollution.
Thousands of sea otters once lived in the northern Pacific Ocean. In the 1700s, people began hunting them for their nice thick fur. Hunting sea otters was banned in 1911, but by then fewer than 2,000 were left.
Sea otters are a keystone species. That means they play a major role in their ecosystems. When sea otters aren't around, urchins eat all the kelp in the area that they are in. Having no more kelp leaves animals like seals, fish and crabs without a source of food or shelter. By keeping the population of sea urchins under control, sea otters help kelp forests grow and help other ocean animals to survive. I liked reading this article because it is nice to see that even though a lot of animals are going extinct, the sea otters are going in the opposite direction and are thriving.
Kellaher, Karen. "All Classroom Magazines." Otters on the Job. Science World, 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 15 June 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment