Starting in 2015, MRCs have been surveying kelp at 20+ sites throughout the NW Straits region by kayak each summer to track trends in kelp bed areas across time. On Jan. 26th, MRC kayakers gathered online with partners to review findings from their 2025 surveys.
In 2025...
55 volunteers from 6 MRCs, paddled 316+ miles, and documented 648+ acres of kelp at 26 sites.
This is an increase of ~250 acres from 2024! This was due to an increase in effort as well as incredible growth of kelp at 10 sites, where MRCs measured bed areas to be the biggest or second biggest they have seen since monitoring these sites!
We want to thank all the amazing volunteer kayakers, MRC staff, and partners that made this possible! Your passion, dedication, and hard work continue to advance our understanding of the vital kelp forests.
Resources:
Kelp Monitoring Fact Sheet | Floating Kelp StoryMap | Kelp data SoundIQ
