Sea Otter (IMAGE) Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Caption Sea otters, the "keystone predator" of Aleutian kelp forests, experienced dramatic population declines in the 1990's. In the wake of this event, herbivorous sea urchins proliferated, de-forested the region, and in recent years - with the help of climate change - triggered the widespread collapse of living reefs that have underpinned Alaskan kelp forests for centuries. Credit J. Tomoleoni Usage Restrictions Credit required License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.