Researchers at Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay in California, have found that sea otters, which were previously feeding on burrowing crabs destabilizing the shoreline, may also help control the invasive green crab population.
Green crabs, native to Europe, have been damaging ecosystems along the West Coast since the late 1980s.
Rikke Jeppesen and her colleagues noticed a reversal in green crab numbers, believing that the return of native sea otters was responsible.
Otters consume large quantities of green crabs, potentially leading to healthier ecosystems.
Despite opposition, including from the fishing industry, researchers are advocating for the reintroduction of otters in areas impacted by fur hunters.