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    7 Adorable Photos of Sea Otters Saving the World

    By | Pets – Wed, Oct 3, 2012 4:29 PM EDT

    Photo by: f-yeah sea otters
    The Oprah of sea otters
    You get a sea urchin! And you get a sea urchin!
    Related: 12 adorable pictures of dogs asleep in strange places... more 
    Photo by: f-yeah sea otters
    The Oprah of sea otters
    You get a sea urchin! And you get a sea urchin!
    Related: 12 adorable pictures of dogs asleep in strange places less 
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    Wed, Oct 3, 2012 4:30 PM EDT
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    Just by munching on one of their favorite foods, sea otters may be combating climate change. New research out of the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) suggests that a thriving population of sea otters helps to keep sea urchin populations in check. Sea urchins devour sea kelp, which absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide. The theory is outlined in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment by lead authors Chris Wilmers and James Estes, who are both UCSC professors. The researchers combined 40 years of data on otters and kelp bloom from Vancouver Island to the western edge of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, and they found that otters "undoubtedly have a strong influence" on the cycle of CO2 storage. Check out these 7 adorable photos of otters who are saving the world right now!- By Joslyn Gray



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