10/11/2026
Sea otters are helping restore entire underwater forests along Canada’s coast 🦦🌿
Kelp forests around British Columbia have declined in areas where sea urchins have multiplied and eaten through the underwater vegetation.
But sea otters have an important role in keeping those urchins in check. As otters return to parts of their historic range and eat more urchins, researchers are seeing kelp recover in some areas.
Now, Indigenous communities and scientists are building on that natural process. Restoration projects are combining traditional knowledge with tools including urchin removal, kelp cultivation and monitoring to help damaged forests recover.
Healthy kelp forests provide food and shelter for fish and other marine animals, making their recovery important for the wider coastal ecosystem.
