The rich resources of Pacific kelp forests helped humans populate the Americas. Now depleted by as much as 95 percent, they ...

Sea otters help recover the kelp forests they depend on. Now scientists know how - While threatened by climate change, otters are key to protecting their ocean ecosystems ...

Arctic kelp absorbs metals from melting glaciers, increasing mercury levels by 72%. This could harm marine life and fisheries ...

Kelp may be one of the first species to show how coastal ecosystems will respond to the ... The team found that mature giant kelp beds shrank after the 2016 Soberanes fire in Monterey County ...

Sea otters help kelp forests recover by controlling sea urchins, but their impact varies. In British Columbia, recovery was ...

New modeling method helped researchers understand why kelp forests returned more slowly in Southern California than in British Columbia.

The marine mammals serve a crucial role, helping to restore the giant kelp forests they rely on ... “We always thought keystone species control their ecosystem the same way, regardless of ...

He concluded the small mammals were integral to maintaining harmony in coastal reef ecosystems: by feeding on sea urchins, they in turn maintained the health of kelp forests—dense groups of ...

A giant sea bass swims amid kelp at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Kelp is highly sensitive to environmental changes. Fluctuations in temperature, light availability, nutrients and ...