Kelp Newsletter Excerpt - One Size Does Not Fit All

- excerpt from the Kelp Forest Newsletter available for download here.

As Heiltsuk well know, sea otters radically alter the coastal marine areas where they live. In rocky underwater areas, sea otters are known to be ‘keystone predators’, having a very large effect on marine food webs and habitats. Research in Alaska, California and other parts of BC have shown many similar ecological effects of sea otters. At the same time, these studies highlight that variation in environmental conditions plays a big role in how sea otter foraging changes a specific site. This variation and its effects on kelp forest ecosystems and abalone is the focus of our research. The preliminary report from a 10-day pilot survey that we conducted in May 2010, entitled Investigating the ecological consequences of sea otter recovery in the Central Coast of British Columbia. Part I. Sea otters, kelp forests and the recovery of northern abalone. Part II. Do sea otters trigger trophic cascades in this rocky intertidal? (Summary field report for 2010), is available at the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department (HIRMD) office.