Determining Drivers of Resilience and Declines in Northern California Kelp Forests

The decline in northern California kelp forests has triggered scientists and ecosystem managers to address the decline by better understanding the causes of kelp forest die-off. This unprecedented event has presented an opportunity to study the decline and work towards solutions for restoring kelp forests. With funding from The Nature Conservancy, the Hughes Lab at Sonoma State University will be conducting surveys across a gradient of kelp forest decline, as there are still a few resilient patches left to learn and study from. Additionally, we will be collecting samples to genetically archive the remaining kelp, and help towards additional efforts with our project partners in the Zippay Lab at Sonoma State to identify resilient kelp populations within California. Last, we will monitor recruitment of microscopic stages of kelp and their urchin predators to better understand the "invisible" dynamics that come with the decline of kelp forests. Collectively, these activities will help shed some light on the drivers of kelp forest decline while also working towards solutions for recovery.