KPIX5 Sarah Daunchy on how their presence could actually help the climate, but potentially harm an important industry.

Sea otters have charmed the hearts of many with their playful antics and cute eating habits, but you won't find any in the waters of much of Northern California.

Sea otters call this 300 mile stretch of California coast home between Santa Barbara and half moon Bay noticeably absent the San Francisco Bay.

Some experts believe that's because great white sharks have been attacking them near they're keeping them out.

But a new study by us fish and wildlife says they could be reintroduced in our part of the state.

They're almost like environmental engineers bringing back, um, areas like the Elkhorn slough down, down the coast to a really healthy place by virtue of the animals that they consume, like sea urchins, which would in turn be consuming kelp.

That's part of the idea.

Kelp forests are vital to capturing carbon and are instrumental in fighting climate change left unchecked.

Sea urchins can decimate kelp forests.

Sea otters themselves have faced their own battle.

They were hunted until they were nearly extinct.

Now there are about 3000 along the California coast.

Oh yeah.

They're very curious this morning.

If they were introduced, sea otter pups could be taken from here at the Monterey Bay aquarium and dropped off in parts of the San Francisco Bay.

Not everyone thinks that's a good idea.

Sea otters feasting on too many dungeness crabs and sea urchins could strain the livelihood of local fishermen.

We have sustainable fisheries that are local producing food for the people of California.

And this, this increase in the number of sea otters is going to have an impact on that.

This federal report doesn't recommend that the otters be relocated back here to the Bay.

It just says that it's possible and it wouldn't happen overnight.

The report recommends more research, more studies and experiments and more outreach to the public in San Francisco.

I'm Sarah Daunchy KPIX 5.