Original drawing on fine art paper, matted, ready to frame.

11x14 with mat

Keystone Species are species on which others in a given ecosystem heavily depend on, so much so that if they were removed, that ecosystem would drastically change.

Sea Otters are a keystone species for kelp forests, which are underwater algae forests that provide shelter and feeding grounds for thousands of sea creatures, help temper storms and coastal erosion, and absorb a ton of carbon dioxide. Sea Otters help keep these forests healthy by controlling the sea urchin population, which would otherwise decimate the kelp.

They also hold hands to keep from floating away from each other, and are known to store special rocks in their underarm pouches.