These vital underwater forests are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors, including rising ocean temperatures and more frequent and severe marine storms that can uproot mature kelp.

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Kelp forests are also under biological threat from intense grazing by sea urchins. The dramatic decline of the predatory sunflower sea star, a key urchin predator, has disrupted marine food webs, leading to unchecked urchin populations and resulting in significant grazing pressure on kelp.

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When kelp forests are heavily grazed or degraded by environmental stress, critical ecosystem functions are lost. Without these forests acting as nurseries and food sources, coastal biodiversity suffers, affecting species from plankton to whales. A shift from healthy kelp forests to sea urchin barrens typically leads to lower productivity.

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The decline of kelp ecosystems also impacts coastal photosynthesis and oceanic oxygen production, altering water chemistry and contributing to ocean acidification and hypoxia.

The Kelp Rescue Initiative is dedicated to restoring kelp forests along British Columbia’s coasts, aiming to rebuild resilient and thriving ecosystems and safeguard ocean biodiversity.