Santa Barbara Maritime Museum ZOOM Webinar
THE GOLETA KELP REEF RESTORATION PROJECT WEBINAR
Presentation by Chris Goldblatt, Founder & Executive Director, Fish Reef Project
Sponsored by Marie L. Morrisroe
WHEN: JULY 16th, 2020 @ 7pm PST
Little understood by the public, kelp is a soft buffer that helps to retain wider beaches, protects coastal real estate, and reduces greenhouse gases. The 1982-83 El Nino storms caused the loss of kelp forests that were once 1000 feet wide and went from El Capitan to Carpinteria and resulted in the loss of Goleta Bay’s kelp beds and beaches. Another reason for the decline of the kelp beds is that the boulders, which come off the hills and hold kelp, wear down over time and the system has not been recharging. The Fish Reef Project, named Goleta Kelp Reef Restoration Project, aims to create 220 acres of offshore reef systems with manufactured fish reef units and quarry rock. This process will give kelp a place to attach, grow, and kick off the recovery of kelp forests and critical habitats for many forms of marine life, including sea otters.
