California Sea Grant, in collaboration with the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), will allocate over $5.8 million towards five kelp research and restoration initiatives. These projects aim to tackle the ongoing kelp crisis in California by providing scalable solutions for resource managers.
Kelp forests, which are integral ecosystems in California’s marine environment, have seen significant declines in recent years, with about 95% disappearing along a substantial portion of the north coast from 2014 to 2019. This loss has had severe consequences for marine life and coastal communities, including the collapse of fisheries and impacts on California Native American tribes.
The funded projects, scheduled to commence in 2024 and lasting up to two years, will address critical questions essential for the protection and restoration of kelp ecosystems. These include determining optimal conditions and strategies for kelp recovery, assessing resilience to warming waters in kelp and associated algal species, and empowering members of California Native American tribes to monitor and restore kelp forests within tribal ancestral territories. Additionally, the projects will involve the participation of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in marine and coastal science, aiming to broaden participation in this field.
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