Do Trophic Cascades Affect The Storage and Flux of Atmospheric Carbon? An Analysis for Sea Otters and Kelp Forests 

September 18, 2019

We combined data collected over the last 40 years to estimate the indirect effects of sea otters on ecosystem carbon production and storage across their North American range from Vancouver Island to the western edge of the Aleutian Islands. We find that sea otters, by suppressing sea urchins, substantially increase kelp ecosystem productivity and have a strong influence on kelp carbon flux and storage.