Keystone of Cuteness

The story of how the decline of sea otters caused dramatic changes to one of the world's most productive marine ecosystems has become the classic example of a trophic cascade, told to nearly all ecology students (including those in Hort 318!)   But becoming a classic textbook example doesn't mean that we know everything.  This paper, by UC Santa Cruz researchers describes the role the cute little critters play in the global carbon cycle.  To access the paper you will need to do it through your OSU library account (or have a membership to the ESA), but you can read a press release about the story here.