The European green crab, a small yet destructive invader, has long threatened coastal ecosystems and industries along North America’s west coast. However, researchers at California’s Elkhorn Slough have discovered a surprising solution: hungry southern sea otters.
Once on the brink of extinction, sea otters are making a remarkable comeback and helping to restore balance in estuaries. These voracious predators are consuming tens of thousands of green crabs annually, significantly reducing their populations. In some areas of the reserve, traps that once caught hundreds of crabs now yield fewer than ten.
This finding underscores the importance of protecting native apex predators like sea otters, whose presence strengthens natural food webs. Researchers have also observed that restoring tidal flows by removing dikes enhances the otters’ ability to control invasive species.
Sea otters, once hunted to near extinction, are now champions of ecosystem recovery, demonstrating how nature itself can offer powerful solutions to environmental challenges.