Kelp Conservation Initiative
seeding spores to grow kelp forests
Kelp beds are dynamic ecosystems and form an essential part of a thriving UK marine coastal habitat. They offer food, shelter, nursery habitats and hunting grounds for some of our most important marine species. When they are alive, they clean the sea of pollutants and the air of carbon dioxide, and when they die, their detritus contributes to 'blue carbon' sequestration and storage in coastal habitats.
However, kelp forests are declining globally and are threatened by many natural and anthropogenic impacts. We are helping to rebuild native kelp forests. By planting the spores of kelp onto a gravel substrate, we nurture the juvenile kelp in a laboratory until it can be transplanted into at sea. In the wild, kelp can grow rapidly and spore frequently, making them an ideal restoration partners.
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