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It’s Not Just “Seaweed”
Kelp, the golden-brown sea plants we see floating in
the ocean and that wash up on our beaches, are an important
part of the Santa Monica Bay ecosystem. Kelp beds serve
many functions – they provide habitat for a wide
variety of sea creatures and they even help reduce the
chop from afternoon winds that surfers complain about.
However, our kelp forests are in danger.
Pollution and human-induced ecosystem imbalances have
contributed to the major decline of kelp beds in our
bay. Fortunately, some help has arrived.
Replanting Projects Help to Save Local Kelp Forests
Thanks to a grant from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration
Commission, a highly-trained group of scientists and
volunteer divers have been spearheading kelp restoration
efforts over the last few years, replanting and restoring
the bay’s kelp gardens. With funding from federal,
state, and private donors, the Santa Monica Baykeeper
organization has been cultivating and re-planting kelp
in key habitats in the northern part of the bay—off
the Malibu coast, just inside Point Dume.
According to staff scientist and lead diver, Tom Ford,
the Baykeeper kelp restoration project has been responsible
for replanting approximately 15,000 cubic meters of
kelp over the last 3 years.
“We use only specially-trained divers,”
said Ford. “Each diver has a minimum certification
of rescue diver and years of experience. Furthermore,
each diver goes through a training process specific
to our program for mapping, replanting, and maintaining
the growth process.”
It’s Very Hard for Young Kelp to Survive
Kelp can grow at a very fast rate—about one foot
a day for healthy adult plants. But getting the “infants”
started is the hard part. “Each small plant must
develop a ‘holdfast’ to grip to the reefs
and must be lucky enough not to be eaten by predators
like urchins, or be ripped off by tidal surges,”
says Ford.
The kelp growth project is one of the most unique in
the world and it’s happening right here in our
backyard—protecting sea life and improving the
beauty and diversity of the Santa Monica Bay.
For more information, go to www.santamonicabay.org
or http://www.smbaykeeper.org
.
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