Sequoias of the Sea

Spanning a quarter of the world's coastlines, kelp forests serve as vital ecosystems, offering food and shelter to thousands of species while capturing carbon from the atmosphere. Over the last decade, however, a third of these underwater havens have vanished globally. Along the 350-mile coastal stretch from San Francisco to the Oregon Border, a staggering 95% of these forests have disappeared. Despite the critical role they play, kelp forests remain overshadowed by other ocean ecosystems like coral reefs, fading into obscurity as they diminish at an alarming rate.