Rise In Sea Urchins And Related Damage To Kelp Forests Impacts Oregon’s Gray Whales And Their Food

A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.

When urchin numbers rise, the spiky marine invertebrates can devour kelp forests that are a critical habitat for...