Salish Sea

• We are proud to help fund the work of these recipients in restoring and enhancing priority coastal and upstream aquatic areas.
• Under the Oceans Protection Plan—the largest investment ever made to preserve Canada's coasts and waterways—the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund will help us continue to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems across British Columbia."
• "British Columbia is home to vibrant marine ecosystems that sustain wild pacific salmon and a diversity of aquatic life.
• Community building was started under the Coastal Restoration Fund in 2017, and the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund will continue to bring Indigenous groups, resource users, community organizations and other groups together to encourage local capacity to support aquatic habitat restoration, maintenance and revitalization.

• Through Canada's renewed and expanded Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), the Government of Canada is ensuring that the best scientific advice, knowledge and tools are being used to protect Canada's waters.
• Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced $7.8 million in funding for 10 projects through the Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI) to help improve oil spill research and response tools and techniques.
• It aims to advance scientific knowledge, in Canada and abroad, about the potential impacts of oil pollution on organisms, develop new technologies for cleanup, and improve the efficacy of existing oil spill response tools and techniques.
• This system will be a potential response option for cleaning up oil spills in Canada's freshwater environments.

• UnCruise Adventures, the trailblazing small-ship adventure cruise line, is thrilled to announce a series of deployment changes and updates set to commence in early 2024 and extend into 2025.
• In its pursuit of new and exciting itineraries, UnCruise Adventures will bid farewell to three beloved cruise routes by early 2024 to make way for new routes.
• Fall and Winter 2023 will be the last available bookings for these destinations with UnCruise Adventures.
• Having exhibited consistent growth and profitability over the years, UnCruise Adventures proudly leads the industry in small ship expedition adventures.

• However, most of us are only vaguely aware of the vibrant masses of seaweed hugging the ocean shores around Earth.
• In a new study published today in Nature Communications, we have produced the first global estimate of the economic value of kelp forests – revealing they provide hundreds of billions of dollars in value to humans across the world.

A human history of kelp

• In Medieval Europe, kelp was used to fertilise soil and increase crop yields, to treat goitre, and was used to fortify building materials for centuries.
• In the 21st century kelp forests have become the main source for alginate, a common food and medical additive.
• Through their prolific productivity, kelp forests draw carbon from the atmosphere, exude oxygen, and help reduce nutrient pollution in our oceans.
• A marine marvel, hidden kelp forests spread across almost one third of our world’s coastlines and lie within 50km of 740 million people.

So, what is the ‘value’ of a kelp forest?

• A close second was the fisheries values – kelp forests support some of our most iconic fisheries, including lobster and abalone.
• This finding suggests that carbon credits may not be an economic driver of kelp conservation, but kelp forests still play an important role in the blue carbon cycle.

The future of kelp

• The battle to save our kelp forests is just getting started, and we need greater action to protect these intrinsically and economically valuable marine ecosystems.
• That is why researchers like me have started the not-for-profit Kelp Forest Alliance, and have now launched the Kelp Forest Challenge, a global call to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forest by 2040.
• Read more:
  Whether you're a snorkeller or CEO, you can help save our vital kelp forests