by Elise Cox
Off the Mendocino Coast where crews are actively restoring bull kelp, reefs are recovering faster than nearby reefs left alone. Researchers told a KelpFest! audience Saturday that kelp canopy at Big River, kelp canopy jumped more than 900% between its 2023 low and fall 2025, bringing it back near 2022 levels. Noyo Harbor reached its historical kelp levels a full year before its control site. And despite warming waters this past summer, researchers said they were glad the restored kelp did not lose ground.
