Kelp forests once grew thick here, but have been grazed down by growing populations of sea urchins, in this image from 2020. According to a status report released by the Oregon Kelp Alliance in November, nearly 900 acres of bull kelp forest has essentially disappeared off the Oregon Coast since 2010.
Oregon State University
A report from the Oregon Kelp Alliance found that nearly two-thirds of the state’s kelp forests have died out over the last decade. A multitude of factors appear to be behind the decline, including rising ocean temperatures and booming populations of purple sea urchins, which eat the kelp. The report also outlines future research and conservation strategies that could help protect the state’s remaining kelp forests.
Sara Hamilton is the scientific coordinator for the Oregon Kelp Alliance and one of the report’s lead authors. She joins us to talk about the status of Oregon’s kelp forests and what it could mean for coastal communities and ecosystems.
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