Science
How Smashing 5.6 Million Urchins Resurrected a California Kelp Paradise
2025-08-31
Author: Amelia
A Dive into California's Underwater Forest
On a gloomy Tuesday in July, divers Mitch Johnson and Sean Taylor gear up on the R/V Xenarcha, a sturdy little boat off Rancho Palos Verdes, south of Los Angeles. Beneath them stretches a remarkable underwater landscape—a vibrant forest of giant Pacific kelp swaying like mermaid hair among the waves.
But this lush habitat has faced formidable challenges. In just two decades, rising ocean temperatures, pollution, overfishing, and a surge of ravenous sea urchins have caused an alarming 80% decline in this kelp paradise along the southern California coast.
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