The Kelp Forest Challenge calls for the restoration and protection of 4 million hectares of kelp forests by 2040. Following the launch of the Challenge, we collectively produced a roadmap for achieving our goals and scaling up kelp forest conservation worldwide. This roadmap provided high-level advice and actions for the global community but lacked specificity at the country or state level. The Kelp Forest Alliance will provide an update on this progress and the state of global kelp conservation, including the amount of kelp forest protected and restored in each country. After assessing the progress and gaps, we will focus on the next steps.

This workshop will bring together a diverse range of people interested in or working on kelp conservation. We will use our collective knowledge to begin working on country-specific roadmaps or action plans for scaling up kelp forest conservation in each country. These working groups are intended to last and grow beyond the workshop and provide an opportunity for collective voices to advocate for informed kelp conservation in their local blue backyards. The key outputs will thus be action plans for scaling up kelp conservation locally and, as a result, globally.

We will also run an online session parallel to the in person session to include those who cannot attend in person.