Sea otters are a keystone species whose welfare and conservation are inseparable from the health of the kelp forest ecosystems they depend on and help sustain.
Sea otter welfare is deeply embedded in the health of the kelp forest ecosystem. Otters depend on kelp forests for food, shelter, and the conditions in which they raise pups. When oil spills compromise fur insulation — otters have no blubber and depend entirely on their dense fur for thermoregulation — individuals can die from hypothermia within hours. The ecological cascade from otter absence — urchin explosion and kelp forest collapse — in turn removes the habitat that surviving otters need. Protecting sea otter welfare therefore requires both individual-level care and ecosystem-level conservation, making them an exemplar of the interdependence of welfare and conservation goals.