Restoration Efforts

Although kelp forests are disappearing all along the west coast, many of the restoration efforts are focused on forests off the Southern California coast. However, with so many factors keeping kelp from being successful, what can be done to bring them back?

Southern California Giant Kelp Restoration Project

Facilitated by the California Coastkeepr Alliance (a non-profit organization), the Southern California Giant Kelp Restoration Project began in 2001 as a means to protect and restore the kelp forests while educating the community on their importance. They planned to bring kelp forests back to their historical locations, monitor kelp and other species that utilize it, train volunteer divers, teach students around the Southern California area, and to educate the general public. Surveys of historical kelp forest locations provided the groundwork and a place to start the restoration. Following this, they proceeded to transplant kelp from cultured populations, drifting kelp, and sporophyll bags (bags that released kelp spores to the surrounding area). They attached the cultured and drift kelp to the rocks with rope or rubber bands until they took hold.  However, the most vital part of the project was the removal and relocation of thousand of sea urchins. During all this, trained community members lectured and educated students and the general public on the plight and importance of kelp forests as a natural and complex ecosystem [6]. Although this was only a six year project and ended in 2007, the successes and efforts carry on today.

Photo Credit: Ed Bierman from Redwood City, USA

Orange County Giant Kelp Restoration Project

Started in 2002, the Orange County Giant Kelp Restoration Project set out to "... restore historical giant kelp forests along the Orange County Coastline through outreach and education." Much like the Southern California Giant Kelp Restoration Project, they utilized the help of volunteers and divers to grow, monitor, and plant kelp just off the coast of the Los Angeles area. Through many of the same processes as the project mentioned above, they built up a community outreach program and educated hundreds of junior high and high school students on the benefits and importance of kelp forests. Project biologists and divers worked hand in hand to monitor restoration sites and compared them to reference sites and control sites near by to measure progress [7]. These efforts are still being pursued today.

A diver attaches a holdfast to rocks using a rubber band. Photo courtesy of Nancy Caruso