kelp

However, while 841 tended to hang close to the cliffs in 2023, this otter appeared to spend more time a bit farther out — closer to the offshore kelp beds.

Swell sharks depend on kelp to lay their leathery eggs, making them vulnerable to kelp forest loss.

“They enter almost like a zombie state until the kelp regrows, and then they eradicate it again.”

A new study identifies the cause of sea star wasting disease, offering hope the animals can come back and perhaps even help West Coast kelp forests recover.

Bringing back sunflower sea stars, which are functionally extinct in California, could help restore kelp forests off the coast, researchers say.