Please contact Brian Meux for information regarding volunteer diving at (310) 305-9645 x107 or
Kelp Restoration Project
The giant kelp beds off of southern California are one of the most biodiverse communities known to exist in our world’s oceans. Similar to tropical coral reefs, kelp beds are highly productive ecosystems that support a wide array of life. One-fourth of California marine organisms depend on the kelp forests for some part of their life cycle. The survival of the threatened bocaccio, giant black sea bass, the few remaining sea otters and entire industries are dependant on large, stable kelp beds.
Yet kelp beds continue to face numerous threats. Giant kelp canopies off southern California's mainland have been reduced by 80% during the past 100 years. Too many sea urchins, coastal development, pollution, and El Niño events have contributed to the decline in California’s magnificent kelp forests. The over harvest of key sea urchin predators, namely the southern sea otter, California spiny lobster and California sheephead has destabilized the kelp ecosystem. Now sea urchins dominate the rocks rather than kelp and hundreds of species are displaced. This leaves our coastal waters more prone to invasion by non-native species, increases coastal erosion and results in the loss of recreational and commercial opportunities.
Santa Monica Baykeeper established the Kelp Restoration and Monitoring Project in 1996. The challenges of restoring and monitoring this building block of a healthy California ocean community are met through a combination of fieldwork, community action and education. A Technical Advisory Committee composed of expert marine biologists and kelp ecologists assisted the Santa Monica Baykeeper in developing a monitoring and restoration plan for the project.
The Kelp Project relies on volunteer divers who assist in research, monitoring and restoration of the historic kelp beds off of Malibu and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Since the projects inception thousands of hours have been donated by volunteer divers. The direct results of these efforts are the restoration of thousands of square meters of kelp forest, a better understanding of the status of the nearshore habitat of Santa Monica Bay and the first steps towards the widespread recovery of our coastal kelp forest.
Interested in becoming a volunteer diver? We are looking for rescue certified divers to help the kelp restoration effort. You will also need CPR, First Aid and Emergency Oxygen Administration certifications.
Kelp Restoration Project