Sea Otters — A Keystone Species
Enhydra lutris
Quick Fact
Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp to anchor themselves while sleeping — and in doing so, they protect the very ecosystem that keeps them alive.
About This Species
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are one of the most celebrated examples of a keystone species — an animal whose impact on its ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its abundance. Sea otters eat sea urchins. Without otters, urchin populations explode and devour kelp forests, creating 'urchin barrens' — underwater deserts. With otters present, urchin populations are controlled, kelp forests thrive, and hundreds of species that depend on kelp for food and shelter flourish. The recovery of sea otter populations along the North American Pacific coast has been one of conservation's great success stories.
Why It Matters
The sea otter story is one of the clearest demonstrations of how removing a single species can collapse an entire ecosystem — and how restoring it can bring that ecosystem back to life.