Finding Sanctuary: Ranking the most wanted kelp forests

Giant kelp and bull kelp forests create habitats that support an amazing diversity of sea life, and their floating canopies are a prominent feature at the surface of California coastal waters. Recently, satellite imagery has shown a dramatic decline in Northern California kelp forests, and a significant, though patchy, loss of kelp forests in central California. Because of cloud cover and the low resolution of satellite imagery, estimates of kelp coverage are inaccurate and smaller kelp canopies can be entirely missed.

Kelp restoration efforts have begun to address some of the most obvious losses, but the scale of these human intervention activities is smaller than a football field and will never be able to fully compensate for regional losses of kelp.

So, which kelp forests are most critical to restore, and which are worthy of high-resolution monitoring by drones? These and related questions are what Melissa Ashley, a California Sea Grant fellow with Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary asked in a study she conducted.

“I’m interested in how people and local economies benefit from a healthy ocean ecosystem, and I wanted to contribute to the sanctuary’s Iconic Kelp Action Plan, developed with input from our local community and the sanctuary advisory council. Even if it’s a kelp forest that is a tended garden, where regular seeding of spores and sea urchin removal is needed, there are many people that want kelp to flourish along our coastline.”

Ashley interviewed a diverse group of kelp users: kelp harvesters that need kelp for aquaculture; fishers, surfers, scuba divers and kayakers who seek kelp habitat for recreation; scientists that use kelp forests as a living classroom and study sites; educators that link kelp to student’s day-to-day activities; and tour companies that seek kelp canopies for wildlife viewing. She asked a number of kelp users what areas they thought were seen as priorities for kelp restoration and/or monitoring along the coast and why. Responses were varied and revealing. Common reasons people gave for ranking specific kelp areas included easy access, high species diversity, long-term scientific data sets, ongoing restoration efforts, good fishing spots, and excellent wildlife viewing.

Kelp restoration efforts have begun to address some of the most obvious losses. (Photo by Steve Lonhart, courtesy of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary) 

While respondents selected locations ranging from the Half Moon Bay area south to San Simeon, the highest priority kelp beds and most commonly chosen were seen along the Monterey Peninsula and in Carmel Bay. Some of the priority kelp beds identified were located at Otter Cove in the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area, North Monastery Beach, Stillwater Cove and those nearby Cannery Row and Hopkins Marine Station.

“I found out that lots of people want kelp to flourish along our shoreline and value kelp forests because they provide vital goods and services to our coastal communities,” according to Ashley. Kelp beds also provide natural coastal protection against storm surges and erosion, absorb carbon dioxide and are nursery grounds for fish.

Monitoring of these important nearshore areas is actively taking place. Marine ecologists from wildlife management agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary are working closely with Hopkins Marine Station, San Jose State University Moss Landing Marine Labs, Cal State Monterey Bay, University of California Santa Cruz, and other partners to determine how ocean temperature, predators, grazers, water movement patterns, and other factors are determining the causes of kelp loss and recovery. Additional local interest groups like Reef Check and the Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project have conducted small kelp restoration efforts at specific areas with agency permits.

The local community is invested in the health of our kelp forests, seen as a bedrock to support our coastal economy – from jobs to enjoyment and recreation. Steve Lonhart, a research ecologist with the sanctuary, summed it up nicely. “Kelp is a community resource enjoyed by many, and it will take all of us to understand and protect it for future generations.”

Andrew DeVogelaere is a research ecologist at Monterey Bay  National  Marine Sanctuary