The return of sea otters and their insatiable appetite is helping to save part of California’s wetland ecosystem.
Sea otters eat constantly. And one of their favorite snacks is swamp crabs, which dig holes and also chew the roots of the swamp grass that holds the mud in place.
A study found that when crab-eating sea otters were reintroduced to a tidal estuary near Monterey, it slowed marsh erosion.
For many years there were no sea otters in this area. They were exterminated in the 19th century due to the fur trade. Previously, they lived in territories from Alaska to California, as well as in Russia and Japan. At one point, only 2,000 animals of this species remained. Mostly in Alaska.
Hunting bans and habitat restoration efforts have helped restore sea otters to their former range. The first representatives of the species were noticed here in 1984. The population has also been increased by a breeding program for these animals.
Another benefit of sea otters: they help regenerate seaweed. These predators eat sea urchins, which in turn feed on algae.
And preserved wetlands, estuaries and marshes help prevent erosion of coastlines and act as CO2 sinks.
