Press

Reef Check’s Kelp Forest Monitoring training classes for 2025 are now open for registration. There are six opportunities in California, Oregon and Washington for divers to get involved as citizen scientists along the West Coast. Oregon will also be hosting three restoration trainings for those wanting to assist with kelp forest restoration.

The Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring Training course is designed to provide participants with the skills and experience to complete the Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring survey protocol accurately. In addition to direct survey methods, the training will address safe diving practices, techniques of research diving, sampling design and theory, general marine ecology including species identification and interactions, and the importance of monitoring to meet marine management needs. Training includes a combination of online and in-person training, recorded lectures and at-home work, and in-person ocean field sessions. Following completion of the training, all participants will have the skills necessary to complete the training examination, allowing them to collect data and become eligible to obtain a Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring Specialty Certification (NAUI).

For a list of course prerequisites and to sign up, visit our registration page at: https://www.reefcheck.org/kelp-forest-program/training-schedule/

If you have been previously trained as a Reef Checker, you can sign up for a recertification class to get ready for the upcoming survey season at http://calendar.reefcheck.org.

By Julian Hyde, Chief Executive Officer, Reef Check Malaysia

We have just finalized the report on our 2024 annual coral reef survey program in Malaysia. I thought it might be useful to share parts of the conclusions and recommendations to an audience who perhaps are not regular readers of our annual survey report.

Conclusions from the Report

Here’s the headline: from 2023-2024 there was a slight decline in Live Coral Cover (LCC), one of the key reef health indicators. This measures the percentage of the reef itself that is live coral – either hard coral or soft coral.

And the 2024 surveys indicate that LCC declined from 45.9% in 2023 to 44.7% in 2024, continuing a trend that originates from 2022. Ok, it’s only a couple of years, and not really that much change, I agree…but we need to look at the broader historical trend. Here’s the data for the last 18 years.

Analyzing Trends in the Health of Malaysia’s Coral Reefs

Granted that it is a bit unstable in the first couple of years due to low numbers of surveys as the program got started. However, this graph, which shows trends in LCC (and other substrate indicators) going back to the beginning of our surveys, reveals some stark trends:

– First there was the impact of the 2010 bleaching event, which saw LCC drop by about 10% from 2010 to 2011

– Then there was the “first great recovery” (my slightly tongue-in-cheek description!!) from 2011 to around 2013, when LCC returned to pre-bleaching levels

– After that there was a slow slide, from around 50% LCC in 2013 to around 43% in 2019. We think this coincides with the growth in tourism experienced in the post-2008 financial crash era

– Then the “second great recovery” – from 2019-2022, when LCC again recovered to earlier levels around 50%. This period, clearly, coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw greatly reduced tourist numbers…coincidence?

– Finally, the more recent years since then, which show a slight decline from a high of 50% in 2022 to the 44.7% seen in 2024. A drop of just over 5 percentage points – 10% of coral cover lost in just two years.

Bearing in mind that:

a) this is aggregated national data;

b) the situation does vary a little in different locations; and

c) there was that little coral bleaching event in 2024, the results of the 2024 survey program should ring alarm bells for all stakeholders – whether in government, the tourism industry, or among local communities.

Action is required now to improve management and conservation of Malaysia’s coral reefs.

Malaysia’s Coral Reefs are Deteriorating

The data suggest that the health of Malaysia’s coral reefs is deteriorating. Other key findings from the surveys are:

– The deterioration in coral reef health noted in our 2023 survey program has continued into 2024. 63% of the islands/areas surveyed saw a decrease in Live Coral Cover (LCC), a key coral reef health indicator.

– As in previous years, the abundance of most fish and invertebrate indicators continues to be low, suggesting either historical overfishing or on-going fishing pressure. This raises a concern about poaching in those survey sites that are in protected areas. In Sabah, 64% of the reefs recorded dynamite fishing damage.

– Disturbance and pollution indicators highlight the trends in the trajectory of reef health, with both local and global impacts evident during surveys. Approximately 83% of the islands/areas surveyed are impacted by discarded fishing nets and trash and 56% are impacted by anchor damage. Malaysia’s reefs have not been spared from the 4th Global Coral Bleaching Event, with coral bleaching documented at nearly 90% of the islands/areas surveyed.

The reduction in LCC noted above is indicative of impacts arising from a variety of human activities including unsustainable tourism, fishing, land clearing, pollution and other activities. These, combined with the recent large-scale coral bleaching event, are among the causes of the deterioration in reef health and urgent action is needed to address this decline.

And here is a cheery thought: what would the graph look like without those two periods during which reefs recovered? LCC could be as much as 10% lower than it already is, at around just 35%.

All is not lost – saving our coral reefs

We always say “all is not lost” and we are going to say it again this year…with the caveat that I believe we are running out of time to conserve reefs in their current form, before they go through a phase shift to an algae-dominated ecosystem.

These are much less productive than coral reefs – so fisheries output will be reduced, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale fishers in Malaysia, not to mention national food security. They are also much less attractive to tourists – potentially affecting the livelihoods of thousands of more people who work in the tourism industry.

So, what can we do?

Find out in Part II at:

https://www.reefcheck.org.my/blog/part-ii-the-results-of-the-2024-reef-check-surveys-challenges-and-opportunities

By Jan Freiwald, Reef Check Foundation Executive Director

Kelp forests are one of the ocean’s most vibrant ecosystems, providing food, shelter, and protection for countless marine species. But along the West Coast of North America, these undersea forests are in trouble. Between 2013 and 2015, extreme warm-water events devastated canopy kelp species like bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). The loss was particularly severe in Northern California, where efforts to restore these vital habitats have ramped up in recent years.

Central California’s kelp forests, including those along the iconic Big Sur coastline, have fared better, maintaining healthy kelp longer than other regions. But recent monitoring along the Big Sur coast suggests even these strongholds are now under threat. From 2015 to 2023, data collected by Reef Check’s subtidal surveys at eight long-term monitoring sites showed a sharp increase in purple urchin densities. These herbivores, which feed on kelp, saw their densities increase nearly tenfold at monitored sites, from less than 1 per square meter in 2015 to over 8 per square meter on average by 2023. Some areas reached densities as high as 20 urchins per square meter—a level that can decimate kelp forests. At the same time, at five of the eight monitored sites, giant kelp densities plummeted by more than 75%, dropping from 1.52 stipes per square meter in 2015 to just 0.35 in 2023. Urchin barrens, reefs denuded of kelp and covered in sea urchins, started to form in many places.

Faced with these alarming trends, Reef Check teamed up with local community members and commercial fishers to implement a restoration strategy of early intervention of targeted urchin removal. The idea was to remove urchins from an area that is still close to healthy kelp forest nearby in order to reverse the trend before it becomes widespread. At a site in Big Sur where urchin densities had reached over 26 per square meter, commercial urchin divers removed urchins over two years. By 2024, urchin density had dropped and stayed at just about 4 to 5 urchins per square meter. 

The results were immediate and encouraging. By the fall of 2023, canopy kelp, mostly bull kelp, had rebounded dramatically. Densities at this site went from near zero in 2022 to 2.71 per square meter—rivaling those of nearby healthy kelp forests. Even more promising, this recovery persisted through 2024, with kelp densities stabilizing at levels similar to surrounding healthy forests.

This success story shows that early intervention can work, even if urchin populations aren’t reduced to the theoretical level of 2 per square meter, which has been cited in much of the restoration work as needed for the reversal of urchin barrens to kelp forests. The findings suggest that early action can make a big difference, offering hope for the future of California’s kelp forests and the marine life that depends on them.

With continued restoration efforts, it is our expectation to protect some of the kelp forests that are still strong and bring back some of the ones lost to urchin barrens. For now, scientists, divers and supporters are racing against time to protect these essential habitats and the intricate web of life they support.

We have lined up some amazing talks for you to get your Reef Check fix over these winter months. The following is what is ahead for our Winter Webinar Series with more dates to come. Use the links below to register and add them to your calendar!

January 8th 7-8p PST: Reef Check Hawai’i with Brad Giles

Ever wanted to bring your Reef Check skills to warmer waters? Join Brad to hear about the relaunch of the Reef Check Hawai’i program and how to get involved! 

January 29th 6-7p PST: Washington Kelp Farming with Mike Spranger

The mission of Pacific Sea Farms  is to be a commercially viable farm and to educate and inspire people about the benefits of wild and cultivated seaweed in the Pacific Northwest. Mike Spranger with Pacific Sea Farm will be speaking to us about what is kelp farming, what its like to launch a kelp farm operation in the state of Washington and the business and social aspects involved. 

February 25th 6-7p PST: Dive into Science with Morgan Murphy-Canella

Come learn more about the Dive Into Science program that aims to increase diversity and offer scuba to underserved communities in the marine sciences. Hear about the impact this program has had on the current cohort of students, the exciting next steps for those involved and plans for the expansion into other regions.

March 12th 6-7p PST: 2024 Season Summary with Reef Check Staff

Join us to hear all about the successes of the Kelp Forest Monitoring program 2024 season. We will also be sharing some data analysis from the last few years and highlighting the ways the data you collected has been used by other organizations to help inform the status of kelp up and down the west coast. 

April 3rd 6-7p PST: Reef Check Baja (In Spanish w/ closed captioning in English)

Learn more about the history of kelp forests in Mexico, the partners we are collaborating with to monitor kelp beds in Baja and how to get involved.

By Reef Check’s Baja California Regional Manager Jessica Pantoja
Photos: Anahi Bermudez

Did you know we have been working on a bi-national Kelp Forest Monitoring Program between Mexico and the US? This month, Reef Check and our key partners in Mexico, such as the MexCal team from UABC (Universidad Autónoma de Baja California) and the NGO ECOCIMATI, took another step in enhancing a long-term, large-scale program to monitor and evaluate our shared coastal ecosystems. Newly hired Baja California Regional Manager Jessica Pantoja from Reef Check and Alex Castillo (MexCal) will coordinate this new adventure by bringing together volunteers from both sides of the border to dive with purpose along the beautiful northwest coast. 

A recap of October’s surveys: 

2024’s surveys began in Ensenada with a mix of volunteers from the United States and Mexico, and staff from MexCal and Reef Check. The group of 10 divers set out from Ensenada to survey Todos Santos Bay and areas further along the coast. In three days the team surveyed the sites of Salsipuedes, San Miguel, Todos Santos Island, and Punta Banda- the southern tip of the bay. This Bi-national team completed four survey sites and has trained three Ensenada locals in Reef Check and MexCal-adapted protocols. 

On the second weekend the team moved north to the Coronado Islands, located off the coast of Tijuana, where four more sites were surveyed. By the end of the second weekend, our newly hired regional managers were running surveys and taking charge in English, Spanish and bubbles! 

These underwater ecological surveys are already documenting critical insights. For example, data show an increase in urchin density and invasive algae species like hornweed (Sargassum horneri) and a decrease in kelp species like giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and California sea palm (Eisenia arborea). However, some areas like the islands of Todos Santos were still thriving and seemingly recovering from past years. 

Looking ahead, we are hoping to expand our survey range throughout the coastline and bring in a variety of volunteer divers from Baja and beyond. With dedicated staff focusing on the Baja region, we also hope to conduct a much longer season throughout the summer of 2025! This program was made possible thanks to grant support from the Binational Resilience Initiative at San Diego Foundation, as well as the support of our local collaborators (MexCal, ECOCIMATI, UABC, and all the local eager divers), who have had a key role in creating one of the long-term kelp forest monitoring programs in Baja California.

We look forward to continuing our local collaboration as we continue the program! 

Monitoring these ecosystems is essential for understanding their health and vulnerabilities, and providing key data to support decision-making that drives management and conservation efforts. Additionally, given that Baja California’s kelp forests are thought to be oracles for the future of kelp forests in California and along the Northwest coast, these collaborations are an opportunity to enhance our understanding of these systems at larger scales with the hands and eyes of local divers up and down the coast!