California's sea otters have become surprising environmental champions by tackling a destructive invasive species wreaking havoc in Elkhorn Slough. These adorable marine mammals have naturally solved a problem scientists have struggled with for years, according to CBS.
For decades, invasive European green crabs have threatened Monterey County's delicate Elkhorn Slough ecosystem. These unwanted visitors arrived in the late 1980s, likely as stowaways on boats, and quickly began outcompeting native species and disrupting the entire habitat.
"Green crabs wreak havoc on native ecosystems. So once green crabs showed up on the U.S. West Coast, it was a major concern," Rikke Jeppesen, a scientist for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, told CBS San Francisco.
Scientists had set countless traps to control the invaders, but the crabs always returned in overwhelming numbers. Then something unexpected happened: The crabs began disappearing without explanation.
The mystery was solved, the CBS report said, when researchers heard loud chewing noises near their traps.
The culprits? Sea otters with great appetites for invasive crustaceans.
Around 100 sea otters now call Elkhorn Slough home, devouring tens of thousands of green crabs annually. Their natural predation has accomplished what humans couldn't achieve despite investing millions of dollars to root out the invasive crabs.
This remarkable, natural ecological service benefits local communities by preserving the ecosystem while saving taxpayer money on expensive control programs.
Volunteer Ron Eby also pointed out how the recovering otter population boosts the local economy as well: "The income here is several million dollars a week, so it's just incredible."
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Absolutely 💯 The total California sea otter population currently stands around 3,000, according to the CBS report — still far below previous numbers, which once reached tens of thousands along the coast. Nevertheless, their success story in Elkhorn Slough demonstrates how restoring predator populations can provide natural solutions to environmental problems.
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"Never before have I done anything that anyone cared that much about," Jeppesen said of the notable discovery. The otters' unexpected role shows that sometimes the best environmental solutions come from within nature itself.
There could be a similar challenge in your own area that needs this kind of attention. While not everyone is able to get as hands-on, there are a number of ways to take action in your community and help the environment — from volunteering to donating to signing petitions that represent the interests you believe in.
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