Let’s protect Oregon’s underwater forests

Estimates suggest that over 10 billion trees call Oregon home – that’s a lot of forest. It’s easy to picture scenery lush with Douglas firs, redwoods and oaks. However, our forests aren’t just on land, they’re also in our ocean and nearshore ecosystems. Kelp forests and eelgrass meadows, for example, can be found just offshore of our craggy, rocky coastline and in our estuaries, and are immensely important for Oregon. They help protect against the negative effects of climate change, sequester carbon and serve as the habitat and hunting ground for a whole host of species.

Climate change

Our oceans are changing. Warmer seas, rising tides, changes in salinity and oxygen levels, and evolving currents have impacted Oregon’s coast dramatically in the past decade. Marine heat waves, like the blob, plague our waters more frequently.  Many of the issues facing our ocean are, in part, driven by climate change. Kelp and eelgrass meadows are an essential part of the solution. 

Kelp and eelgrass store carbon. Per acre, they have the potential to store almost 20 times as much carbon as their terrestrial counterparts. They’re critical to reducing rising CO2 levels in our air.

These plants also stabilize our shorelines and reduce wave energy, which prevents erosion. They provide a safe place for marine animals like rockfish and crabs when there’s less oxygen or stronger current in the water. In short, these plants help make Oregon more resilient to stressors caused by climate change, and are more important than ever as our world continues to warm.

Habitat and hunting grounds

Kelp forests and eelgrass meadows provide a home and a place to hunt for countless marine species. Were you to visit our nearshore areas and estuaries, which contain these plants, you’d likely see seals, Dungeness crabs, salmon, urchins, anemones, octopus and even the occasional whale. Importantly, these areas also serve as a nursery for younger ocean critters to grow up before venturing out into deeper water. It’s clear our wildlife rely on these areas heavily. If they were to disappear it would spell disaster for our nearshore environment. Sadly, it looks like that’s happening.

On the decline

Across the nation, kelp forests are disappearing and in Oregon it’s no different. A multitude of factors have hit Oregon’s coastal areas in the past couple decades. For one, kelp forests really thrive in colder, nutrient-rich water and the warmer water, caused by climate change, has put stress on them. To make things worse, an overgrowth of purple sea urchins has devastated the Oregon coast in recent years and has caused a lot of damage. Urchins love kelp and when they get into an area with little to no natural predators, they multiply rapidly and consume all kelp in sight. This leads to areas called urchin barrens, which are difficult to restore to a healthy, natural state.

Here in Oregon, purple sea urchins’ natural predators, primarily sea otters and sunflower sea stars, have disappeared. Without them, urchin barrens will become more and more frequent along our coast.

For eelgrass, estimates suggest that nearly 70% of Oregon’s estuaries have been negatively impacted by human development. This makes them more vulnerable and sensitive to other stressors, like climate change or invasive species. For example, Oregon also has a major European green crab problem. These invasive crabs were unintendedly introduced to the Pacific coast in the late 1900s. Since then, they’ve exploded in numbers from Alaska to California and they’re very disruptive. They live in estuaries and nearshore areas, prey on juvenile fish and rip apart eelgrass root systems when they burrow in the mud. Our nearshore areas can’t sustain this and it’s clear these crabs have to go. Thankfully, bringing back sea otters and other native species may be able to help with that too.

Helping our kelp (and eelgrass)

Healthy underwater forests are necessary for Oregon to have a healthy ocean and coast. We need to help these places and there are many ways to do this – some are already in the works. 

One solution is to prioritize reintroducing and rehabilitating species that eat purple sea urchins and invasive crabs. There are efforts underway to reintroduce sea otters and sunflower sea stars to Oregon’s coast, which groups like the Elakha Alliance are leading. Reintroducing these vital species could help reduce the number of damaging urchins and crabs and alleviate some of the stressors these areas are facing.

There’s also federal legislation in Congress dedicated to improving kelp forests across our country. Oregon’s Senator Merkley introduced the Help Our Kelp Act, which would create a federal grant program and set aside funds dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring our underwater forests. If passed, it would be a huge win for Oregon and all coastal states with kelp.

At the state level, more research is needed about how these areas are doing. At the moment, the Oregon Kelp Alliance is conducting its own research on the health of Oregon’s kelp forests and nearshore areas. They’ll be releasing their findings this coming June which could create more opportunities for us to better monitor, protect and conserve these underwater forests.

We could also build off that research and require a statewide kelp and eelgrass conservation and monitoring program. Our neighbors up in Washington created one this past year which sets them on a path to protect and conserve 10,000 acres of underwater forests by 2040. The plan was created after receiving multiple rounds of input from tribes and community members and is in the early stages of rollout. Overall, a similar plan and community engagement process could happen here in Oregon. 

It’s clear there’s a lot  we can do to help our kelp and eelgrass. These submerged areas are vital to a healthy Oregon. They help manage and mitigate many of the negative effects of climate change and serve as the habitat and hunting ground for iconic ocean species. Let’s keep working to protect these special places that make Oregon, Oregon. 

If you’re interested in supporting our efforts to save our underwater forests you can join us and our conservation movement.