Innovative project aims to safeguard UK's kelp from potential decline

Innovative project aims to safeguard British kelp from potential decline. Kelp forests play a crucial role in marine ecosystems by providing habitat and food for a diverse range of marine species. However, various factors such as climate change, pollution, and overfishing have led to a decline in kelp populations across the world, posing a significant threat to the health of coastal ecosystems. Scientists at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and Newcastle University have embarked on a ground-breaking project to protect native kelp populations in the UK. ‘Green gravel’, a pioneering restoration tool to combat kelp forest decline is being used in the UK on four species of native kelp. Kelp spores are extracted from coastal locations in Devon and Teeside and then ‘seeded’ onto local gravel (substrates) in a lab, allowing the kelp to grow under optimal conditions. Once kelp plants have grown large enough (1cm long), the gravel and kelp will be planted out at sea. This technique ...