In the waters of Clayoquot Sound off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, underwater kelp forests are gradually returning. A project launched in early 2026 by the Redd Fish Restoration Society together with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has already created more than 4200 square metres of new habitat — an area comparable to three and a half Olympic swimming pools.
The team grows young bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) on four underwater lines each 330 metres long. This method helps protect the delicate shoots from sea urchins, which live on the seafloor. As the kelp matures, it is transplanted to selected sites, restoring damaged forests and establishing new ones.
The combination of modern methods and traditional knowledge plays a key role. Indigenous representatives identify priority zones, guided by the needs of juvenile salmon and historical data on the state of the ecosystems. The "two-eyed seeing" approach — Etuaptmumk — makes it possible to draw on the strengths of Western science and centuries of experience observing the sea.
Sea otters returning to the region help control the urchin population, easing the pressure on young kelp. This natural interaction amplifies the effect of the restoration work and serves as a reminder of the complex connections within coastal ecosystems.
Similar initiatives are unfolding in other areas of British Columbia as well — from Burrard Inlet to Howe Sound. In each case, success depends on close cooperation with local communities, which not only share knowledge about locations and seasonality but also set the project's goals, focused on food security and cultural heritage.
Restoring kelp forests means not only bringing back biodiversity but also strengthening the bonds between people and the sea that have been formed over millennia.
