Though spatially distinct, the Santa Barbara Channel’s subtidal kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the foundation species of rocky reefs, ...

However, the extent of this cross-ecosystem connection is not fully understood. "We know that there's a link between the kelp forest and the beach," said Kyle Emery, a researcher at UC Santa Barbara's ...

Researchers examining a century of ocean maps made an exciting discovery linking sea otter populations to kelp forests: Where sea otters thrive, so do these critical underwater habitats. The research ...

New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heat waves. The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Adorably fuzzy sea otters aren’t just cute. The marine mammals serve a crucial role, helping to restore the giant kelp forests they rely on by removing their top predators, the sea urchins. When ...

The kelp forests that hug the Pacific coastline are an underwater jungle. They're a thicket of colossal algae intermixed with a pageant of life that includes snails, urchins, sea lions, sea otters, ...

WASHINGTON – Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Angus King of Maine have teamed up with Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) to introduce the bicameral Help Our Kelp Act. Over the last 50 years, the ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was co-published with Scientific American and supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. MONTEREY — It’s 1988. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is four years old, and so am I.

Though spatially distinct, the Santa Barbara Channel’s subtidal kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the foundation species of rocky reefs, ...