Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Kelp forests are a critical nearshore ecosystem in the Salish Sea. They provide habitat structure for many species, cycle nutrients, including carbon, and play an important cultural role for coastal communities. Bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, is the only floating canopy-forming kelp in Puget Sound. In response to kelp forest canopy decline in recent decades in the South and Central Basins of Puget Sound, Puget Sound Restoration Fund launched our Bull Kelp Restoration Program in 2010. A primary focus of our program is the development of scalable techniques for outplanting bull kelp in areas where it has been lost with the goal of restoring persistent, self-sustaining kelp forests. Kelp restoration efforts in Puget Sound are hampered by a limited understanding of kelp ecology. Site selection, outplanting infrastructure design, and timing with respect to life stage and seasonal window all pose challenges. Since 2010, we have been conducting iterative outplanting trials at sites in Central Puget Sound using varied techniques and have found that by outplanting 20-day-old sporophytes settled on twine at an appropriate site in mid-February, we can grow a forest of Nereocystis to maturity. To evaluate our 2021 trial and develop metrics for defining restoration success, we recorded kelp growth, density, and maturity at a nearby non-outplanted forest to compare to our outplanted kelp, and have identified targets to guide future projects. We are troubleshooting obstacles that still inhibit our trials from yielding a self-sustaining forest. For example, the role that adult sporophytes may play in facilitating the success of the next generation is poorly understood. The lessons learned from these ongoing kelp outplanting trials are shaping our approach to restoration of this critical habitat at a regional scale in Puget Sound.
Session Title
Kelp Restoration & Climate Change
Conference Track
SSE9: Nearshore
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-236
Start Date
26-4-2022 9:45 AM
End Date
26-4-2022 11:15 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Kelp bed ecology--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Kelps--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Marine ecosystem health--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Kelp Forest Restoration in Puget Sound: Outplant Techniques and Lessons
Kelp forests are a critical nearshore ecosystem in the Salish Sea. They provide habitat structure for many species, cycle nutrients, including carbon, and play an important cultural role for coastal communities. Bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, is the only floating canopy-forming kelp in Puget Sound. In response to kelp forest canopy decline in recent decades in the South and Central Basins of Puget Sound, Puget Sound Restoration Fund launched our Bull Kelp Restoration Program in 2010. A primary focus of our program is the development of scalable techniques for outplanting bull kelp in areas where it has been lost with the goal of restoring persistent, self-sustaining kelp forests. Kelp restoration efforts in Puget Sound are hampered by a limited understanding of kelp ecology. Site selection, outplanting infrastructure design, and timing with respect to life stage and seasonal window all pose challenges. Since 2010, we have been conducting iterative outplanting trials at sites in Central Puget Sound using varied techniques and have found that by outplanting 20-day-old sporophytes settled on twine at an appropriate site in mid-February, we can grow a forest of Nereocystis to maturity. To evaluate our 2021 trial and develop metrics for defining restoration success, we recorded kelp growth, density, and maturity at a nearby non-outplanted forest to compare to our outplanted kelp, and have identified targets to guide future projects. We are troubleshooting obstacles that still inhibit our trials from yielding a self-sustaining forest. For example, the role that adult sporophytes may play in facilitating the success of the next generation is poorly understood. The lessons learned from these ongoing kelp outplanting trials are shaping our approach to restoration of this critical habitat at a regional scale in Puget Sound.
