5.2 Kelp forest Community

Kelp covers one-third of the world’s coastlines, and as such, the communities of people surrounding these ecosystems are vast and diverse. The Kelp Forest Alliance maintains a database of the people and organisations involved in kelp forest conservation worldwide. Participants register voluntarily to the platform, which includes over 550 people and 316 organisations from 25 countries, and new data are continuously added as people register. These data are accessible to users who create a community account on the Kelp Forest Alliance platform.

The United States and Japan have the largest kelp conservation communities in the KFA database, with nearly 50% of the world’s organisations (Figure 5.1) coming from those two countries, followed by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. However, differences in working languages are skewing these results, and English-speaking countries are likely over-represented.

Figure 5.1 Organizations by Country

Academia is the largest sector involved in kelp conservation, representing ~32% of all involved, followed by NGOs, who represent ~15%. Other community representatives come from business, government, media, community and educational groups, impact investors, philanthropists, or are Indigenous rights owners (Figure 5.2).

Figure 5.2 Organizations by Sector

Within academia, there has been an exponential increase in the number of scientific articles in international journals that focus on kelp forest conservation and restoration, from fewer than 10 per year before 1980 to more than 200 per year since 2020 (Web of Science search). The United States and Australia are responsible for most international scientific publications on kelp conservation, followed by Canada, Chile, New Zealand, England, and Norway, which all have a similar number of published papers. However, it is important to acknowledge this only accounts for outputs published in English, and there are additional outputs in other languages not accounted for here, including Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Norwegian, and Russian.

In addition to the Kelp Forest Alliance, which provides a global home for kelp conservation and outreach, there are many other organisations and regional networks that serve as platforms for scientists, researchers, practitioners, stewards, and resource managers to exchange ideas, update the community on recent research, and set future goals. Some examples include:

The International Kelp Mappers Community of Practice is a group dedicated to mapping and monitoring of kelp forests through novel remote sensing and other technological methods. It was established in 2019 by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) California, and is now led by the Hakai Institute and University of Victoria Spectral Lab. The group hosts annual meetings showcasing new technology and building collaborations. They also published the Kelp Mappers Guidebook and are facilitating working groups in specific regions such as Latin America.

The Green Gravel Action Group is a large international network that includes over 65 members from nine countries working on the restoration of kelp forests by seeding (or inoculating) substrates such as small rocks or lines with kelp propagules that are reared in aquaria and then out-planted into restoration areas.

The Kelp Node is a 200-member regional network that ultimately aims to advance local conservation, management, and recovery of kelp forest ecosystems in British Columbia (Canada) and Washington (USA) waters. The network leverages and expands collective regional objectives for kelp conservation and restoration through action-oriented working groups focused on kelp data, science, training/engagement, and policy/governance.

The Eastern Pacific Kelp Forest (EPaK) Recovery Workshop is hosted annually by TNC California to identify synergies, bottlenecks, and knowledge gaps, and to facilitate collaboration such that we may advance our shared conservation goals. Current activities range from methods-review-focused manuscripts, to training workshops, state-of-knowledge documents, knowledge-exchange discussions, and a data-mobilization webinar.

Kelp recovery has also gained attention among local communities and recreational SCUBA divers who are interested in using their underwater time to benefit the ocean. As such, programs exist to train and give access to local communities by including divers in kelp forest monitoring and research, which enhances community engagement and can lead to sustained ecosystem stewardship. For example, Reef Check (USA) and REEF (USA) focus on training recreational divers to monitor the health of kelp forest ecosystems.

Love Rimu-Rimu (New Zealand) is a community-led NGO which recruits and trains school students in both kelp restoration and monitoring.

The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project has brought together over 40 organisations and hundreds of people to understand and protect kelp forests in Sussex (UK) after securing the protection of over 300 km2 of seafloor from trawling.

Operation Crayweed (Australia) and the Mendocino Bull Kelp Recovery Program (USA) have recreational diving and non-diving opportunities nested (and funded) within their research program to allow for direct participation by local communities in kelp recovery efforts and foster sustained community connection. These opportunities also support other ways of knowing, aside from the scientific method, by local communities.

As for community-led efforts, Caspar Cove and Tanker Reef in California, USA are investigating whether grazer-suppression efforts by volunteer divers can support kelp regrowth at their local reefs. Results will help managers determine whether in-water purple-urchin culling is a useful kelp restoration tool more broadly as part of the state’s developing Kelp Restoration and Management Plan. In Japan, Mobile Sea Otters is one of a number of local organisations which encourages local fishers and community members to take part in urchin management and kelp restoration efforts.

In recent years, kelp-themed community gatherings and festivals worldwide have surged, combining conservation, science, and art exhibitions. These events, attracting thousands annually, celebrate kelp-related products and offer participatory activities. Exhibits in Sydney, Hobart, San Francisco, and San Diego bring underwater forests to the public, fostering connections with unseen places. Seaweed’s role in food, art, culture, and film is highlighted by events like the North Coast KelpFest, the California Seaweed Festival, and the Kelp Forest Photo Awards.

Since 2013, South Korea has celebrated Marine Gardening Day on May 10th. This holiday celebrates people’s connection to the ocean and encourages local communities to take part in marine restoration efforts. The day is often focused on school children and encourages education and awareness raising about marine issues, including kelp forest loss.

Kelp forests have also been increasingly capturing people’s imagination and attention through impactful visuals (art, books, films and documentaries) in recent years, most famously including the Oscar-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher” set in a South African kelp forest. In addition, books and web stories such as The Curious World of Seaweeds, The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp, and Braiding Sweetgrass allow for the careful consideration of seaweeds along with the human element of broader ecosystem stewardship.