Timber Cove (Sonoma Coast) Kelp Restoration 2023-2025

Kelp forests in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS), specifically Sonoma and Marin Counties have declined dramatically over the last decade due to climate change and the cascading legacy effects of overhunting of sea otters in the 19th century. We and our partners at GFNMS and Moss Landing Marine Labs have developed techniques to successfully restore lost kelp forests. Under this three year project at Timber Cove (Sonoma Coast) we will investigate the effects of kelp forest restoration on invertebrate biodiversity and one key ecosystem function: invertebrate recruitment. Results of this experiment will combine outplanting of laboratory cultured kelp with the removal of herbivorous sea urchins to determine if and to what degree does restoration of kelp forests enhance key ecosystem functions.