As Sea Otters Recolonize a California Estuary, They Restore Its Degraded Geology
A new study by Duke researchers has revealed that the return of sea otters, a top predator, to a California estuary is helping by slowing erosion and restoring the estuary’s degraded geology due to plant-eating marsh crabs. The study found that sea otters on the West Coast were once part of a thriving ecosystem until they were driven out by human activities like fur trapping and agriculture, which in turn allowed marsh crabs to flourish. After recolonizing, the sea otters were able to decrease the crab population and allow for those plants to regrow and slow erosion.
This work was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation