The Community Ecology of Sea Otters

This book discusses effects of predation by sea otters in nearshore benthic communities of the North Pacific. It includes chapters written by researchers in kelp forest, rocky intertidal, and soft sediment habitats. They review current knowledge and areas of controversy, present new data, and identify needs for additional study. In the concluding chapters areas of consensus as well as barriers to overgeneralization and accurate prediction are noted. This is the first technical book focusing on empirical studies of effects of a marine mammal on marine ecosystems. Researchers, fisheries and environmental conservation organizations will find this book a valuable study.