These sea otters in Alaska are floating amid kelp—an important flora friend to the endangered marine mammals. Sea otters live mostly in the water and use the thick blades of kelp to anchor themselves as they sleep and to keep their buoyant pups from floating away. Just as the kelp helps otters, sea otters help the kelp, too. They ensure the kelp"s survival by eating sea urchins. If sea urchin populations are left unchecked, these spiny vacuum cleaners of the sea destroy kelp forests by munching on holdfasts that tether kelp to the ocean floor. The resulting clear-cut areas, called urchin barrens, are devastating to the overall ecosystem. Kelp forests provide food and safe harbor for hundreds of fish species and other sea creatures. They also remove carbon dioxide from the air, a benefit to us all.
Kelp buddies
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Swimming into the season
-
Bird s-eye view on World Environment Day
-
A lush, green escape
-
World Environment Day
-
A field of English lavender
-
There’s a dog in there somewhere
-
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
-
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
-
Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day
-
75th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
-
Relationship status: It s complicated
-
Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia
-
Nature Photography Day
-
This view is brought to you by…
-
Wildcat in a winter wonderland
-
Life carries on, rising from a ship s skeleton
-
Feeling lazy? Today s your day.
-
Panda Day
-
Honoring the first American woman in space
-
Chocolate Hills
-
Join us in celebrating World Water Day
-
New York City skyline
-
The meeting point of the winds
-
Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
-
Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
-
Vieste, Apulia, Italy
-
Day of the Dead
-
Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
-
World Jellyfish Day
-
Wild lupines