6 million sea urchins removed by volunteer divers saved California kelp forest

The Valley Vanguard: For more than a decade, volunteer divers have been quietly wielding hammers off the coast of Santa Monica, California — not to build reefs, but to knock apart an ecological problem that nearly erased the region’s kelp forests. What began as a small, persistent effort by the Bay Foundation has turned into one of the most unusual and effective local marine restorations in recent years, showing how targeted, hands-on work can spark dramatic returns in coastal ecosystems…