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

Post-Blob, California’s kelp crisis isn’t going away

Mongabay – FORT BRAGG, U.S. — In 2024, I was scuba diving in Northern California’s Casper Cove where the Watermen’s Alliance, a group of ex-abalone sports divers, has been culling purple urchins since 2020. It had been six years since abalone season shut down, following the region’s kelp forest collapse. About 4 meters (13 feet)… Continue reading Post-Blob, California’s kelp crisis isn’t going away

Kelp Restoration Project to Pluck Purple Urchins from Santa Barbara Channel

SB Independent: New Pilot Project Will Sell Problematic Purples to Restaurants or Turn Them into Agricultural Products. For the two-year initiative, the CFSB is also partnering with The Nature Conservancy California, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), and The Bay Foundation, and efforts will be funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt.  

Urchin Gonad Response to Kelp Forest Restoration on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Overpopulation of purple sea urchins (strongylocentrotus purpuratus) has caused “urchin barrens” impacting red sea urchin (mesocentrotus franciscanus) gonad production, a high-value sushi product important to fisheries. Destructive purple sea urchin grazing is also the leading cause of kelp deforestation in the world and has multi-trophic level impacts on species’ use of kelp forest habitat resources. Kelp restoration… Continue reading Urchin Gonad Response to Kelp Forest Restoration on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California