The kelp foreats of Southern California have been having trouble regenerating in recent years following pollution from run off, overfishing, storms and climate. So much so that biologists at the Southern California Marine Institute have started to raise kelp from spores in the laboratory at Terminal Island under fluroescent light after two months in the lab the 4 inch strips of the seaweed sprout covered tiles are taken back to the ocean and anchored to the sea floor in around 25 – 45 feet. Brendan Reed, a staff biologist for the Santa BayKeeper notes that succesful takes can grow to about three feet within a couple of months.
Californian Kelp Forest getting a hand
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