In just the past decade, California has lost more than 90 percent of its kelp canopy. The primary reason for this loss isn’t what might be expected—pollution or overfishing, though those do play a significant role in this destruction. No, the kelp forest degradation California is witnessing is the result of something far harder to control—the increasingly warming waters off our coast. These warming oceans may appear beneficial at first; however, along our Pacific coast they have led to widespread kelp degradation.
The California kelp forests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems along our coast, providing natural barriers against storm surges, acting as carbon sinks, and, most importantly, sustaining countless coastal economies. Climate-driven heatwaves, however, have slowly eroded these integral parts of our coastline, leaving all communities at risk. At this point in the climate crisis, all implementable resolutions are long-term. What California needs is effective action now, achieved by focusing on resilience and recovery rather than prevention. This action can be achieved by expanding marine protected areas. As the climate crisis continues to intensify, our focus must shift from permanent solutions to harm mitigation, and expanding marine protected areas to include the California kelp forests can help reduce harm and allow for ecosystem repair.
Marine protected areas, colloquially referred to as MPAs, are designated zones where human activity is restricted. At their most extreme, they are ‘no-take’ reserves which prohibit any and all fishing or collecting. While MPAs that allow limited commercial/recreational fishing do exist, California kelp forests require the more severe ‘no-take’ MPAs to truly see change. The goal of these MPAs is to provide space for kelp forests to grow resilient in the face of an increasingly warming ocean. Nature is self-healing and continuously resilient, and limiting human interaction with the life found in these forests can help our kelp ecosystems regenerate and strengthen.
This idea is strong in theory and, when tested, in practice as well. In a 2024 study, 38 years of kelp cover data derived from satellite imagery were examined to assess the effectiveness of MPAs in southern California following an unprecedented marine heatwave from 2014-2016. The results of this study concluded that kelp forests within fully protected MPAs were far more likely to recover and, in fact, more resilient to the negative effects of warming oceans. While the study notes regional actions also influence the stability these forests experienced, the majority of the difference in recovery was attributed to MPAs.
Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, MPA expansion is still heavily contested. A common critique against the expansion of marine protected areas is often led by fishing communities. Marine protected areas severely limit the reach of fisheries, which in turn bars fishermen from some of the most productive spots. This risk of economic friction is a valid concern, especially since along the California coast many families' livelihoods hinge on a stable fishing economy. However, historical trends with marine protected areas have shown that establishing these areas ultimately does more good than harm for these communities. Allowing kelp forests to recover from climate catastrophe through methods like this enables the ‘spillover effect’. As the kelp forest ecosystem begins to heal, we see a trophic cascade– an increase in marine populations up the food chain. Resilient kelp that heals from the harshness of the warming ocean creates an ecosystem where consumer populations can thrive.
This resulting ‘spillover effect’ produces not only an expanding healthy ecosystem but also a biodiversity boom that protects and supports the interests of local fishermen. Marine organisms migrating in large numbers to regions that are not as tightly monitored as MPAs means that fishery quotas may, in turn, increase. While a short-term monetary loss, these MPA expansions result in long-term benefits for both marine life and fishermen by naturally augmenting marine biomass and its range.
As California gears up for an El Niño winter, warmer ocean temperatures pose a greater threat than ever to our local kelp forests. The time for action is now, and the action required is statewide apportionment of no-take MPAs to protect our kelp forests. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is in the throes of MPA expansion discussions, and public participation in these discussions is the most effective tool democracy has provided to ensure our voices are heard. So much of our kelp forests have been lost, and ruminating on this loss accomplishes nothing. Providing space for these forests to recover and become stronger will accomplish everything.
The views expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Saving the Sea Organization. This piece was written as part of the Emergent Fellows Program, our summer fellowship in environmental policy and advocacy.