Kelp Forest Alliance
Beneath our temperate and arctic seas, kelps, a marine ‘plant’, create lush underwater forests that provide the thread for a rich tapestry of life.
Within these kelp forests, sea birds and otters search for food. Abalone and urchins, cling to a wave swept rock as lobsters scuttle by. Fish brustle through the towering canopy while sea stars and hundreds of other marine species go about their daily business.
The benefits of these ecosystems to us humans are enormous, and are valued at 500 billion dollars per year. Kelp forests draw carbon from the atmosphere, exude oxygen, reduce damage from storms, improve water quality, and draw visitors to their depths.
Rising sea temperatures, overgrazing, overfishing, and water pollution are causing the deforestation of kelp forests across the globe. Southern Australia and Northern California have lost 95% of their giant and bull kelp forests and declines have occurred on every continent. When kelp forests disappear, so do the fish, and so do the livelihoods that they support.
