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Otters will save from global warming
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz have discovered that sea otters may help prevent global warming.
The fact is that sea otters (sea otters) are formidable enemies of sea urchins, which in turn eat algae (kelp). That is, in this way the ecological chain "sea otters-sea urchins-kelp" is carried out. It is the kelp that releases oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide.
An article by Californian scientists, professors Chris Wilmers and James Eustace, was published in the online journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
"This is very important. Our study provides evidence that animals have a huge impact on the carbon cycle, in which carbon is continually removed, used and replaced by living things," comments Professor Wilmers.
Experts have calculated that algae occupying 1 square meter at a depth of 20 meters can absorb 180 grams of carbon dioxide.
According to scientists, if the sea otter population is restored, they, in turn, will reduce the number of sea urchins, which means there will be more kelp.
The greater the amount of algae, the more carbon dioxide they will absorb.
"Sea otters have a positive indirect effect on the biomass of algae that sea urchins destroy. In places where otters eat tons of urchins, algae grow lush and dense. Thus, the density of sea urchin settlements is controlled," say the authors of the study.
The higher the kelp population, the more carbon dioxide will be absorbed. This figure could be up to 1 million more per year.
"At the moment, most climate change interventions ignore the impact on the carbon cycle. But in fact, their benefits in combating global warming are enormous," says Professor Wilmers.
The current population of sea otters in North America is about 75,000 individuals. This is almost twice the number recorded 100 years ago. In the 20th century, this species was on the verge of extinction.
Of course, it is impossible to solve such a serious problem as global warming with sea otters alone, but these animals can become one of the links in a chain that represents a comprehensive approach to solving this problem.
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