Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
CONTENTS A JOURNEY BEGINS CHAPTER 1 THE MYSTERY UNFOLDS CHAPTER 2 THE AHA MOMENT CHAPTER 3 PROOF CHAPTER 4 UNEXPECTED HEROES 4 8 18 26 40 SOURCE NOTES GLOSSARY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY MORE YOU OTTER READ AND WATCH INDEX 50 51 52 54 55
A JOURNEY BEGINS WHAT DOES A PLAYFUL SEA OTTER HAVE TO DO WITH FLOWERING SEAGRASS THAT GROWS UNDERWATER While they share an ocean home one is a mammal and the other is a plant One eats crabs and fish The other uses photosynthesis to make food One frolics in the sea The other sways to an underwater rhythm But in fact a critical link between the two exists a link that marine biologist Brent Hughes found completely by accident Finding that connection solved a scientific mystery that Brent had almost given up on From a young age Brent enjoyed figuring out the how and why of marine life I had only visited the ocean a handful of times as a kid said Brent who grew up in Kansas more than 1,000 miles 1,609 kilometers from the nearest ocean But I spent a lot of time near the Great Lakes I was drawn to Scientists Brent Hughes right and Lilian Carswell motor up the Elkhorn Slough Brent relied on Lilian’s sea otter expertise during his research
Sea otters usually forage in the morning and evening and rest in the middle of the day Rest time includes grooming Well-groomed fur traps air between its layers to keep otters warm in cold water water and was always out in nature exploring and trying to catch fish worms and insects After studying biology in college Brent traveled to the Oregon coast for graduate school There he discovered the Pacific Ocean’s intertidal zones areas close to shore where the tides wash in and out Brent describes intertidal zones as a beautiful mosaic of habitats They are home to a diverse community of plants and animals he says They provide the food and a place to live Intertidal zones benefit people in several ways too such as protecting the coastline from rough weather Brent’s curiosity kicked into gear He had to know more about these fascinating environments 5
