Adapt restoration methods to local physical conditions (e.g., wave energy, plant size, and boulder stability) and leverage positive interactions with existing species, such as oysters, which may enhance kelp recruitment and overall restoration success.
Minimising holdfast damage during harvest (e.g., using blunt-tipped knives and excluding damaged individuals) is critical for improving kelp transplant survival.
Recently quarried limestone can leach and alter water chemistry that may impact transplanted kelp.
We demonstrated that kelp transplants can be successfully established with rapid transplantation techniques, moving adults between sites within hours and achieving up to 100% transplant survival within kelp patches after 15 months. Where transplants survive, they can effectively reduce turf cover, thereby reducing competition from opportunistic turf algae. Transplanting kelp also has the potential to introduce reproductive adults or facilitate understorey recruitment from external populations onto new substrate. However, we found that recruitment was highly site- and context-specific and was likely influenced by interactions between the kelp transplants and the more established biological community (e.g. oysters).
Kelp transplants on Glenelg phase 1 and phase 2 reefs (survivorship per patch: 25–75% and 25–100%, respectively) had significantly greater survival (one-way ANOVA: F[₂,₂₁] = 16.43, p < 0.001) than those at O'Sullivan Reef (0–37.5%). No significant difference was detected between the two Glenelg Reef phases, though survivorship was generally higher on phase 2 reefs. Compared to Glenelg Reef, O'Sullivan Reef experiences greater wave exposure and heightened hydrodynamic activity (Perry et al. 2024), which likely impacted transplant survival at this site. This was evident from the displacement of many boulders with kelp attached, some of which had been dragged several meters and some had the kelp pulled from the rubber strapping. This suggests either inadequate securing within the reef matrix or that the boulders were too small to withstand drag forces that can be created by Ecklonia radiata in high-energy environments (de Bettignies et al. 2013).
Indicator: | Ending Value: | Starting Value: |
|---|---|---|
Percent Survival | 43.7000 % | 100.0000 % |
| Transplant Info: | |
|---|---|
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Source: | Wild |
Adapt restoration methods to local physical conditions (e.g., wave energy, plant size, and boulder stability) and leverage positive interactions with existing species, such as oysters, which may enhance kelp recruitment and overall restoration success.
Minimising holdfast damage during harvest (e.g., using blunt-tipped knives and excluding damaged individuals) is critical for improving kelp transplant survival.
Recently quarried limestone can leach and alter water chemistry that may impact transplanted kelp.
We demonstrated that kelp transplants can be successfully established with rapid transplantation techniques, moving adults between sites within hours and achieving up to 100% transplant survival within kelp patches after 15 months. Where transplants survive, they can effectively reduce turf cover, thereby reducing competition from opportunistic turf algae. Transplanting kelp also has the potential to introduce reproductive adults or facilitate understorey recruitment from external populations onto new substrate. However, we found that recruitment was highly site- and context-specific and was likely influenced by interactions between the kelp transplants and the more established biological community (e.g. oysters).
Kelp transplants on Glenelg phase 1 and phase 2 reefs (survivorship per patch: 25–75% and 25–100%, respectively) had significantly greater survival (one-way ANOVA: F[₂,₂₁] = 16.43, p < 0.001) than those at O'Sullivan Reef (0–37.5%). No significant difference was detected between the two Glenelg Reef phases, though survivorship was generally higher on phase 2 reefs. Compared to Glenelg Reef, O'Sullivan Reef experiences greater wave exposure and heightened hydrodynamic activity (Perry et al. 2024), which likely impacted transplant survival at this site. This was evident from the displacement of many boulders with kelp attached, some of which had been dragged several meters and some had the kelp pulled from the rubber strapping. This suggests either inadequate securing within the reef matrix or that the boulders were too small to withstand drag forces that can be created by Ecklonia radiata in high-energy environments (de Bettignies et al. 2013).
Indicator: | Ending Value: | Starting Value: |
|---|---|---|
Percent Survival | 63.9000 % | 100.0000 % |
| Transplant Info: | |
|---|---|
| Life Stage: | Adult |
| Source: | Wild |
