Hell yeah, Science! Seagrass saved from extinction due to returning Sea Otter population
14 replies, posted
[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69449000/jpg/_69449609_seaotterface.jpg[/IMG]
[img]http://carinbondar.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/seaotter2.jpg[/img]
[quote]The return of sea otters to an
estuary on the central Californian coast has significantly improved the health
of seagrass, new research has found.
Seagrass was deemed to be heading for extinction in this region before the
otters returned.
But scientists found that the animals triggered a chain reaction of events
that boosted the water-dwelling plants.
[/quote]
[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23814524[/URL]
The world could always use more otters.
you otter know about these kinds of useful things.
[QUOTE=darkedone02;41983108]you otter know about these kinds of useful things.[/QUOTE]
That was awful
[QUOTE=riki2cool;41983215]That was awful[/QUOTE]
Yeah he otter stop posting for a while.
This is otterly fantastic.
[quote]They looked at a variety of changes that may have affected the grass, but the only factor that really matched the changes in seagrass was sea otter numbers.
They theorised that sea otters were eating the crabs which prey upon small invertebrates in the water.
These invertebrates eat a type of algae which blooms when there are more nutrients in the soil. It grows on the leaves of the seagrass, shading them from sunlight and causing them to die back.[/quote]
Yeah, this is why you can't really fuck with any species even if you don't see it's direct purpose in the ecosystem. There are many insane reverse-feedback loops in the ecosystem and if you lose a species, the entire thing can go unstable.
I wish I had a pet otter.
I'd get a pool so we could just chill in it for an entire day.
Humanity finally turning the tide of destruction, even it's a small step.
Shows that otters are the first step to saving the world.
Poseidon demands more pictures of aquatic mammals!
[QUOTE=darkedone02;41983108]you otter know about these kinds of useful things.[/QUOTE]
Couldn't come up with anotter pun?
fuck science this was clearly the work of the magnificent otter
[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwXpVyOMTx1RT1FrJjpWbeXAraO1FFnOZdPqIHCyJeeaQrsoip[/img]
I saw otters at the Atlanta aquarium and they would rub ice cubes on their bellies to stay cool
It was like the cutest thing ever.
Otters kick ass
[QUOTE=Sword and Paint;41983966]Humanity finally turning the tide of destruction, even it's a small step.[/QUOTE]
We didn't really. This isn't really a victory for science. This just sounds like the Sea Otter returned to this particular estuary and saved the day.
Awesome? Hell yeah. But not really a victory for ecologists other than "Hell yes, our science is relevant!" (I say this -as- an ecologist)
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