A recent study reveals that the reappearance of sea otters and their strong hunger has aided in the preservation of a portion of marshland in California.

Sea otters are constantly feeding and they particularly enjoy eating striped shore crabs. These crabs create holes in the ground and also feed on the roots of the marsh grass pickleweed, which helps to keep the soil in place.

If not monitored, the crabs cause the marsh banks to become porous like Swiss cheese, making them vulnerable to collapse during strong waves or storms. This information was shared by Brent Hughes, a marine ecologist from Sonoma State University and one of the authors of the recently published study in the journal Nature.

The presence of crab-eating sea otters in a tidal estuary near Monterey, California was discovered to effectively reduce erosion, according to researchers.

Hughes stated that while they do not fully reverse erosion, they do slow it down to natural rates.

For a long time, there were no sea otters present in Elkhorn Slough.

In the 1800s, the fur trade greatly reduced the number of these animals worldwide. These animals used to be found in large numbers from Alaska to California, and even in Russia and Japan. At its lowest point, there were only about 2,000 individuals left, primarily in Alaska.

The prohibition of hunting and initiatives to restore their natural habitat have aided in the resurgence of sea otters in their previous territory. The initial individuals to return were observed in Elkhorn Slough in 1984. Additionally, the program run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium to raise and release orphaned sea otters has further contributed to the growth of the population in the estuary.

Researchers examined past rates of erosion starting from the 1930s in order to evaluate the effects of sea otters’ reintroduction. They also established fenced-off zones to prevent otters from accessing certain areas of the creek for a period of three years, during which time those sections experienced accelerated erosion.

Previous research on the reintroduction of apex predators in different environments, particularly the gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park, has demonstrated the crucial role these species play in maintaining balance within ecosystems. By controlling the population of elk and moose, which feed on young trees, the wolves were able to slow down the process of riverbank erosion.

Previous studies utilized observations, however, the latest research’s design provided clear evidence of the influence of sea otters, according to Johan Eklöf, a marine biologist at Stockholm University who was not involved in the study.

Additional studies have indicated that sea otters play a crucial role in the regeneration of kelp forests by regulating the population of sea urchins that consume kelp.

According to Brian Silliman, a coastal ecologist from Duke University and co-author of the recent study, sea otters possess impressive abilities when it comes to locating and consuming food.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is fully responsible for all of its content.

Source: wral.com