Seaweed that will thrive in a changing ocean
Waters off the east coast of Tasmania have been badly affected by warming; temperatures have risen (and are continuing to rise) at nearly four times the global average.
We know that this significant rise in temperatures is a major reason for the loss of giant kelp forests in this part of the world. But, just as the science tells us how this disaster has come about, it can also help us create a solution.
The Sea Forest Foundation, in partnership with the University of Tasmania, has brought together a remarkable team of scientists who are working to restore giant kelp forests.
The goal is to create resilient kelp forests that not only survive the effects of global warming, but become powerful tools in the fight against climate change.
The benefits of kelp forest restoration
Biodiversity loss is a phenomenon we want to avoid as a matter of course. But avoiding the loss of this particular species is imperative because giant kelp forests are essential to Tasmania’s economic wellbeing and to the world’s environmental health.
Without kelp forests Tasmania’s fishing and tourism industries are significantly diminished. These marine environments are home to commercially important fish and are vital to tourism activities such as diving.
Via the process of photosynthesis, giant kelp also plays a critical role in cycling carbon from the atmosphere and maintaining pH levels in water.
The death of kelp forests also diminishes the great southern reef, a marine system spanning 8000 kilometres from Kalbarri in Western Australia to the New South Wales-Queensland border. The reef contributes more than $10 billion to the Australian economy every year.
