GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -While kelp forests are a required habitat for many nearshore species, sea otters are considered the keystone species in most ecosystems with kelp forests because they consume sea urchins, which would otherwise decimate the kelp forests, and thus the habitat of many species in that ecosystem.

Detailed explanation-2: -Sea otters are a “keystone species” which means that they can exert top-down pressure via predation on sea urchins, which are grazers upon kelp. As urchin density decreases from sea otter predation, so does the grazing pressure on kelp and as a result kelp forests flourish in the presence of sea otters.

Detailed explanation-3: -Keystone species hold together the complex web of relationships in an ecosystem. They can be animals, plants or microorganisms. Examples of keystone species include starfish, sea otters, wolves and elephants.

Detailed explanation-4: -There are three types of keystone species cited by many scientists: predators, ecosystem engineers, and mutualists. Predators help control the populations of prey species, which in turn affects the quantity of plants and animals further along the food web.

Detailed explanation-5: -Sea kelp is a keystone species, specifically a keystone host. Sea kelp is a large type of algae that can grow over 30 meters in height in the kelp forests. Sea kelp provides food and shelter for many other marine organisms and thus is a type of keystone host.