When they’re not relaxing by the coast, the sea otter is busy bringing down the total carbon dioxide levels by 10 per cent in their inhabited area. Otters feed on sea urchins, which is beneficial because it keeps the urchins away from kelp. Sea urchins destroy as much as 30 feet of kelp forest a month, and without them the local kelp can grow over a hundred feet long, soaking up carbon emissions in the process.

So you're saying the world needs more otters? I can live with that. :)

You know who else feeds on sea urchins? TROUTGIRL

Saving our planet, one sea urchin at a time!

Joyce: https://pandawhale.com/post/66643/california-gold-the-uni-dynasty-of-mendocino-county

Geege: http://pandawhale.com/Geege4/urchins

That image!  Sea urchin death row!

(Totally forgot I had an urchins stash - thank you.)

Yeah that is a great image -- I might make it the image atop this page. :)

More for that stash:

http://pandawhale.com/post/16770/stem-cells-were-printed-on-a-3d-printer

http://pandawhale.com/post/42267/these-dolphins-are-using-sea-sponges-as-tools

Beat you to it.  :)

Sweet. :)

Summary:

Healthy kelp forests means healthy marine life too: The PBS documentary clip shows the kelp being swarmed with life of all color. More otters means more kelp with lower carbon dioxide levels and a thriving marine ecosystem. Perhaps otters are the superheroes of the sea.