Dive In, Make a Difference
Join the Caspar Cove Project (part of the Watermen's Alliance Urchin Removal Efforts) and help us fight to save our kelp forests
and ensure a thriving and sustainable future for our beloved blue planet.
The health of our kelp forests is at a critical juncture, facing an array of challenges that demand our immediate attention.
Caspar Cove, nestled along the rugged Northern California coastline, has witnessed the devastating effects of ocean warming events, absence of key ocean predators and subsequent overgrazing by native purple sea urchins on vital kelp forests.
Welcome to the Caspar Cove Project (part of the Watermen's Alliance Urchin Removal Efforts). Our initiative is dedicated to increasing community involvement and conducting research to help understand and restore the ecological balance at Caspar Cove, Northern California. At the heart of our efforts lies the urgent need to understand the outcomes of recreational divers culling urchin in situ and address the overpopulation of native purple sea urchins and the resulting degradation of kelp forests, a vital marine habitat. Widespread bull kelp forest loss has directly impacted the ecological, economic, and cultural viability of northern California.
In under a decade, kelp forest canopy in Sonoma and Mendocino counties declined by over 96%, leaving a wake of ramifications for local communities dependent on healthy coastal ecosystems. Efforts to restore and protect bull kelp populations in the aftermath of this event will be crucial for the recovery of the marine environment in the Mendocino Area.
Through community-driven action and collaboration, our team is actively engaged in coordinating community to cull purple sea urchins from Caspar Cove's ecosystem and answer key science questions relevant to this temporary regulation change. In support of this effort, we organize regular events, with the aim to reduce the pressure on kelp forests caused by these voracious grazers, with the goal of promoting the recovery of this essential marine habitat.
Join us in the mission to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of Caspar Cove by participating in this event by culling sea urchins (click HERE for details), signing up for a kelp monitoring team, or supporting our cause through donations (coming soon). Together, we can make a tangible difference in understanding the role of humans in mitigating kelp forest habitat loss and safeguarding the health and resilience of our coastal ecosystems for generations to come.
