By Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 05/07/2024 05:55 Restoration of kelp forests lost to ocean heat waves and overgrazing sea urchins is underway off Vancouver Island’s coastlines with guidance from local researchers. Experts from the University of Victoria have teamed up with the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on the project, known as the Kelp Rescue Initiative. To kickstart their restoration work, divers are planting two species of canopy-forming kelp in Barkley Sound at the research centre in Bamfield. The project will also happen in the North Salish Sea at multiple locations around Hornby and Denman Island with support from Vancouver Island University’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station. Kelp forests are quickly declining around the world from a combination of sea urchin predation and warming ocean temperatures due to climate…
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