The Quiz: Sea otters ensure that coastal kelp forests remain healthy by eating what?
A Oysters
B Sea urchins
C Starfish
One of an otter’s favorite foods is the sea urchin. An otter can adroitly work past the urchin’s sharp spines and crack open its shell, eating dozens upon dozens in a day. Good thing for the kelp forests, because urchins love kelp. A colony of urchins can decimate a kelp forest if otters aren’t around to eat them. Kelp forests are foundational ecosystems of the oceans, providing shelter and habitat for a multitude of sea life, from mollusks to fish, birds, and mammals. For that reason, otters are crucial aquatic caretakers.
The correct answer to this quiz is Sea urchins.