Kelp forests have begun to thrive again around islands off Southern California and British Columbia thanks to the return of sea otters to the area. The kelp forests had been suffering until recently due to an overpopulation of sea urchins, which the otters have developed a taste for. 

Otters eat sea urchins, which are known for munching on kelp. Without enough otters around, urchins can multiply and consume large amounts of kelp, eventually destroying the kelp forests. These forests are crucial to supporting a wide range of marine species and maintaining overall balance of the environment.  

In a new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder), researchers found that while these fluffy ocean heroes help kelp forests thrive, their impact varies on the local environment. The scientists also noticed that changes in the kelp ecosystems were happening at different speeds in these locations, as the recovery rate in California was much slower than in British Columbia.  

To study this, lead author and environmental studies researcher Ryan Langendorf developed a model to understand how species interact over time. The model revealed that California had more complex species interactions causing the recovery process to take longer, while British Columbia’s ecosystem had a direct chain of events.  

Increased competition between the different urchins, kelp and other species in California seemed to slow down the influence sea otters had on the entire system. Using this new model to chart species interactions, scientists can now understand how they work together (or against each other) to influence the recovery process and use this approach to better manage and restore critical ecosystems.  

“The dynamic nature of ecosystems has long kept ecologists from understanding what species need and how best to manage them,” Lagendorf said.  

“Being able to turn common survey data into a movie of species reacting to changes in their environment and each other feels like renewed hope for a field that more than ever needs to offer useful advice about how to help the many complex living systems we live with and cherish.” 

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