Sea otters are often portrayed as lovable and relaxed animals that spend their time goofing around. Or, simply floating on their backs in the water with their special rock. While this image is ...

Joe Lee surfaced from Mendocino Bay grasping a pearl. It was the 1800s, and a lush forest of kelp swayed beneath him, home to sea urchins and abalone — one of which had transformed a bit of grit ...

“Abalone and sea urchins are both herbivores that depend on healthy kelp forest ecosystems for food and habitat,” the CDFW said in a statement issued in 2016. “With the recent loss of kelp ...