Norway Brings Back Lost Kelp Forests with Simple Solution

When researcher Hans Christian Strand stepped onto a boat in northern Norway last May, he expected to see the same gray, lifeless ocean he'd encountered for years. What he found instead made him catch his breath: thriving kelp forests growing where nothing had survived for decades.

The transformation didn't happen by accident. For 40 years, Norway has watched 5,000 square kilometers of kelp forests disappear after overfishing wiped out wolffish and haddock, the natural predators of sea urchins. Without these fish to keep them in check, hungry sea urchins devoured the underwater forests that once supported countless species.

Strand and his team spent 25 years searching for answers. Local freedivers called the "Kelp Watchers" tried crushing sea urchins by hand, even diving in winter storms and freezing temperatures. They saw some species return, but the kelp forests never came back.

Then Strand took an evening walk through a pine forest. Watching how the trees capture sunlight with their wide bottoms and narrow tops, he wondered if the same design could work underwater.

Working with a local seaweed company, Strand's team collected spores from mature kelp and spread them like brown slime onto ropes attached to sand-filled plastic rings. They dropped these "artificial reefs" into the ocean in February, positioning the ropes just beyond the reach of sea urchins.

Three months later, the structures were covered in healthy, growing kelp. The sea urchins couldn't reach the suspended ropes, and the kelp thrived.

The Ripple Effect

Kelp forests do more than look beautiful underwater. They shelter marine life, clean ocean water, absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and protect coastlines from waves. They're found along one-third of the world's coastline, making them building blocks of ocean health.

The timing couldn't be better. Research shows kelp forests worldwide have declined 40% to 60% over the past 50 years. Southern Australia and Northern California have lost up to 95% of their giant kelp forests due to rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and overfishing.

Strand has deployed 17 reefs so far in northern Norway. His team plans to scale up to 1,000 units, creating a blueprint that other coastal communities around the world can follow.

What started as a simple observation in a pine forest has become a lifeline for ocean ecosystems that support life far beyond what we can see beneath the waves.