While the humble Otter may seem nothing more than a cute member of marine life, research has now revealed how the adorable aquatic mammal plays a pivotal role in the Earth’s survival.

A new study by Ocean Science & Technology has analysed how much ‘oceanic blue carbon’ certain aquatic wildlife can store, showing how our planet could have looked had we driven otters to extinction decades ago.

Collectively along with seals, sharks and turtles, otters can help store 11.5 million tonnes of carbon per year, equivalent to a 401,000 square metre forest. Without otters’ contribution, researchers predict we would be seeing an even more drastic impact from climate change now.