Winter Waters Beneficiary:
We’re proud to support the Oregon Kelp Alliance through Winter Waters ticket sales. The Oregon Kelp Alliance (ORKA) represents diverse interests in kelp forest ecosystems. It includes commercial urchin divers, researchers, managers, conservationists, tribal members, tour guides, sport divers, chefs, and other community members supporting healthy kelp forests.
With support from Oregon Sea Grant, ORKA has continued to develop and support collaborative projects to enhance our understanding of kelp forest changes and experimental kelp forest regeneration.
The Future of
Kelp Forests
Copyright © Brandon Cole
Members and partners of the Oregon Kelp Alliance (ORKA) are now working on an experimental kelp restoration project, under a scientific take permit developed in collaboration with shellfish biologists from ODFW, which recently issued the permit. This experimental project aims to reduce sea urchin densities in 5 experimental areas enough to promote kelp regeneration.
The project includes baseline surveys to determine sea urchin and kelp abundance and density, and will also measure red and flat abalone and sunflower sea stars, other important members of the kelp forest ecosystem. This project is part of a comprehensive strategy to promote kelp forest health, including monitoring and research of kelp forest ecosystems, ocean chemistry and other environmental variables, targeted removal and culturing of purple urchins, community science, tribal engagement, and education opportunities.
In Oregon’s cold nutrient-rich waters, kelp forests thrive and grow quickly. Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) can grow as fast as a foot or two a day, reaching up to 100 ft each season. But rising ocean temperatures, human and natural changes threaten kelp’s ability to consistently return and provide important habitat for marine animals.
Without healthy and thriving kelp forests, marine life seeks habitat elsewhere, which impacts commercial and recreational fishing, and tourism. As fishing opportunities continue to dwindle, tourism and economic impacts will increase. Beyond economics, the kelp decline is an environmental indicator of climate change.
Thriving Kelp
Kelp Restoration
Copyright © Brandon Cole