A new paper explores the ways these extinct megaherbivores would have reshaped kelp forests across the North Pacific.
In the chilly waters off Russia’s Commander Islands, a Steller’s sea cow grazed on kelp fronds. The buoyant behemoth sheltered her calf close to shore and away from predators. Seabirds perched on their exposed backs, eating parasites from their skin. It was here, some 250 years ago, that these giant sirenians met their end. The last remaining Steller’s sea cow was killed and eaten in 1768 by hungry fur traders who were collecting pelts—from the region’s sea otters in particular. What remained were the ecological ghosts of giants, the extinction of which likely had widespread consequences for the marine ecosystem they left behind. According to a new study, these megaherbivores influenced kelp forest dynamics across the northern Pacific Ocean.
How Steller's Sea Cows Impacted the Environment They Left Behind | Science | Smithsonian Magazine
In the chilly waters off Russia’s Commander Islands, a Steller’s sea cow grazed on kelp fronds. The buoyant behemoth sheltered her calf close to shore and away from predators. Seabirds perched on their exposed backs, eating parasites from their skin. It was here, some 250 years ago, that these giant sirenians met their end. The last remaining Steller’s sea cow was killed and eaten in 1768 by hungry fur traders who were collecting pelts—from the region’s sea otters in particular. What remained were the ecological ghosts of giants, the extinction of which likely had widespread consequences for the marine ecosystem they left behind. According to a new study, these megaherbivores influenced kelp forest dynamics across the northern Pacific Ocean.
How Steller's Sea Cows Impacted the Environment They Left Behind | Science | Smithsonian Magazine