Kelp Rescue Initiative

Kelp Rescue Initiative We develop science-backed solutions for kelp forest restoration and resilience in Barkley Sound & the North Salish Sea. Follow along to learn about kelp!

We work closely with First Nations, local communities & partners to protect these vital ecosystems.

New publication: Bringing Population Genomics into Kelp Conservation & AquacultureA new publication from KRI scientists ...
08/28/2026

New publication: Bringing Population Genomics into Kelp Conservation & Aquaculture

A new publication from KRI scientists outlines how genetic knowledge can inform kelp management in the Pacific Northwest.

Authors: Jordan B. Bemmels & Gregory L. Owens.

As genomics knowledge of bull and giant kelp in the Pacific Northwest grows, this paper examines how it can inform four areas of kelp management:

Restoration
Wild Harvest
Aquaculture
Biobanking

Restoration & Aquaculture

This paper compares four approaches to choosing where kelp used for restoration or aquaculture should come from:
-Genetic similarity
-Genomic match to present or future climates
-Environmental similarity
-Geographic distance

Key takeaway:
Each approach has pros and cons that must be weighed by decision makers. there are benefits and risks of each, with more testing in the field needed.

The number of parent kelp used to outplant stock affects its genetic diversity and risk of inbreeding.

The authors reanalyzed bull kelp genomic data and found that 10 individuals captured nearly half of the genetic variation in a sample of 50.

Key takeaway:
Collect from as many widely space, unrelated parent kelp as practical.

Dozens can represent most common genetic variation and substantially limit inbreeding, but larger collections preserve more rare variation.

Allelic representation curves for Nereocystis based on resampling empirical genomic datasets. Resampling was performed for (a) the Strait of Juan de Fuca, (b) the Outer Coast of Vancouver Island and Washington, and (c) Barkley Sound. The proportion of SNP loci that are polymorphic (i.e., each of the two SNP alleles were sampled) is plotted as a function of the number of individuals sampled (n) and rescaled relative to a sample size of n = 50. Solid line: Mean of 100 resampling replicates; shaded polygon: Range containing 95% of resampled replicates. (d) Sampling sites included in each of the geographic regions, with colors and symbols as in (a–c). Small black dots represent additional sampling sites included in Southern BC and Washington in Figure 5. Note that Barkley Sound was analyzed separately (c) but is also included as part of the Outer Co

Outplanting kelp on tile. How it works ➡️Kelp “seed stock” is sprayed on clean tiles.The tiles are then placed in the nu...
08/22/2026

Outplanting kelp on tile. How it works ➡️

Kelp “seed stock” is sprayed on clean tiles.

The tiles are then placed in the nursery for the kelp to grow.

In late winter to early spring, they’re brought underwater.

Divers install the tiles onto concrete blocks, which will anchor the kelp as it grows and becomes buoyant.

These are arranged across the restoration site.

If all goes well, the kelp continues to grow!

What to consider with tiles:
Tiles allow for precise placement and make outplants easy to relocate and monitor. They can be a good fit for targeted restoration and research, but for larger projects, labour, material costs and vulnerability to grazers can make other methods more practical.

Want to help kelp?

We’re The Kelp Rescue Initiative, our mission is to restore kelp forests at an ecologically meaningful scale in BC.

Follow, share or learn more at:
kelprescue.org

Outplanting kelp on tile. How it works ➡️Kelp “seed stock” is sprayed on clean tiles.The tiles are then placed in the nu...
08/21/2026

Outplanting kelp on tile. How it works ➡️

Kelp “seed stock” is sprayed on clean tiles.

The tiles are then placed in the nursery for the kelp to grow.

In late winter to early spring, they’re brought underwater.

Divers install the tiles on concrete blocks, which will anchor the kelp as it grows and becomes buoyant.

These are arranged across the restoration site.

If all goes well, the kelp continues to grow!

What to consider with tiles:
Tiles allow for precise placement and make outplants easy to relocate and monitor. They can be a good fit for targeted restoration and research, but for larger projects, labour, material costs and vulnerability to grazers can make other methods more practical.

Want to help kelp?

We’re The Kelp Rescue Initiative, our mission is to restore kelp forests at an ecologically meaningful scale in BC.

Follow, share or learn more at:
kelprescue.org

Swipe to fast forward 3 months of growth ➡️
08/21/2026

Swipe to fast forward 3 months of growth ➡️

How could El Niño affect kelp forests in BC? El Niño is underway and expected to strengthen through the end of 202...
08/14/2026

How could El Niño affect kelp forests in BC?



El Niño is underway and expected to strengthen through the end of 2026 with a:

97% chance it will persist through Feb-Apr 2027.

95% chance of a very strong El Niño from Oct-Dec 2026.

(NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Official ENSO Probabilities and ENSO Strength Probabilities. Issued August 2026.)

El Niño is monitored using changes in sea surface temperature and atmospheric conditions across the tropical Pacific.

A very strong event means the three-month Relative Oceanic Niño Index in the Niño 3.4 region averages at least:

2°C above normal

The latest weekly Niño 3.4 value is already 1.8°C above normal.

Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center. ENSO Diagnostic Discussion. 13 August 2026.

NOAA Climate Prediction Center. ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions. 10 August 2026.

El Niño can shift winds, currents and upwelling across the Pacific, changing the likelihood of warm ocean conditions.

The forecast cannot tell us exactly how warm the water will become at an individual kelp forest. Local currents, mixing, nutrients, depth and exposure all influence how much heat kelp experiences.

Records from past heat events in our regions next slide.

Sources:
NASA Science. El Niño.
Starko et al. 2022. Microclimate predicts kelp forest extinction in the face of direct and indirect marine heatwave effects.

BARKLEY SOUND

2014–2016 marine heatwave

Along Barkley Sound’s summer temperature gradient:

~15°C at cooler outer-coast sites, where kelp forests largely persisted
~18°C at warmer inshore sites, where extensive kelp loss occurred

Across a 16-kilometre gradient in Barkley Sound, giant and bull kelp forests disappeared from 40% of surveyed sites.

Sources:
Starko et al. 2022. Microclimate predicts kelp forest extinction in the face of direct and indirect marine heatwave effects.
Dykman et al. 2025. Testing the roles of local adaptation and genetic diversity in giant kelp restoration.

NORTH SALISH SEA

1977–1982

Temperatures exceeded 20°C for more than a week at at time during multiple warm events.

Most of the 550+ hectares of bull kelp documented a

08/13/2026

We’re starting to see bull kelp blades with sori washing ashore. How about you?

If you haven’t seen this before, each thicker, darker patch is reproductive tissue called a sorus. When there is more than one, they’re called sori.

As the sori mature in late summer, they detach from the blades and sink through the water column, releasing millions of microscopic spores near the seafloor. Those that successfully settle begin the microscopic stage of bull kelp’s life cycle, eventually producing the next generation.

In this photo, you can see the remaining sori and the gap where one sorus has already dropped away.

New research led by KRI scientists traces the Ice Age history of bull and giant kelp across the Pacific Northwest, revea...
08/07/2026

New research led by KRI scientists traces the Ice Age history of bull and giant kelp across the Pacific Northwest, revealing evidence that both species persisted in coastal refuges while much of the region was covered by ice.

Read the full paper at the link in our bio.



New research from KRI scientists found evidence that bull and giant kelp persisted along parts of the coast while much of the region was covered by ice.

Geographic locations of ancestors through time inferred from ARGs using Spacetrees for (a) Nereocystis and (b) Macrocystis, visualized for each genetic cluster. The first panel at 0 yr before present (YBP) depicts the sampling locations of each population, with different colors representing different genetic clusters. In subsequent panels, lines represent contours enclosing 90% of all ancestor locations for each genetic cluster, and circles represent the mean ancestor latitude and longitude. LGM, Last Glacial Maximum.

During the last Ice Age, glaciers covered much of the Pacific Northwest. But some parts of the coastline likely remained ice-free, creating refuges where kelp could survive.

Researchers analyzed more than 1,000 bull and giant kelp genomes. Patterns in their DNA allowed the team to reconstruct where the ancestors of today’s kelp populations may have lived.

Both species showed high genetic diversity in north-central BC.

Their ancestral locations also pointed to areas between northern Vancouver Island and southern Haida Gwaii.

The results suggest kelp persisted in multiple ice-free areas, rather than returning to BC only after the glaciers retreated.

From these refuges, kelp later spread north and south along the coast.

Bull and giant kelp create habitat for many other species.

Their survival raises the possibility that parts of the wider kelp forest ecosystem also persisted, although more research is needed to know which species survived alongside them.

Understanding how kelp responded to past environmental change helps us better understand the populations and genetic diversity found along the coast today.
The study was led by KRI scientists Jordan B. Bemmels and Gregory L. Owens, with co

08/04/2026

A highlight from monitoring season: getting to see a giant nudibranch (Dendronotus iris) swimming at one of our restoration sites.

Our research is featured in National Geographic!In a study led by KRI researcher and National Geographic Explorer Brian ...
07/31/2026

Our research is featured in National Geographic!

In a study led by KRI researcher and National Geographic Explorer Brian Timmer, researchers used 50-year-old aerial photographs, maps and dive surveys to reconstruct the northern Salish Sea’s former bull kelp forests.

Their findings reveal how decades of ocean warming have reshaped these ecosystems and reinforce the urgency of conserving and restoring what remains.

The article also features KRI First Nations Liaison Connie Crocker (Xqulsiim), a member of Penelakut Tribe.

Read the story at the link in our bio.

Address

100 Pachena Road
Bamfield, BC
V0R1B0

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kelp Rescue Initiative posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Kelp Rescue Initiative:

Shortcuts

Share

Category