New “Vanishing Kelp Forests” Infographic Available to Download

A new infographic shares the story of California’s vanishing kelp forests, depicting its shift from lush forests into urchin barrens.

Northern California’s vast underwater kelp forests provide food and shelter for countless marine species. Since 2014, however, a dramatic, unprecedented change has been occurring in these critical ocean habitats. Large numbers of purple urchins are changing these once lush forests into “urchin barrens,” areas where little is left but urchins, calcified algae, and bare rock.

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