Kelp Watch: kelp bed monitoring by Bainbridge Island residence

In 2013, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) set in motion a new program called Kelp Watch. The project aims to 1) get people excited about kelp’s role in providing nearshore habitat structure for juvenile salmon and countless other organisms, and 2) highlight the historical significance of kelp around Bainbridge Island. People are encouraged to keep an eye out for kelp growing along the shore and to recollect where it grew previously so we can create a comprehensive model of kelp trends around the island. Ideally, we can follow this by working with neighborhood groups to begin restoration projects in areas around Bainbridge Island where Bull kelp once thrived. Participants in the program volunteer their time to simply take note of canopy kelp presence in areas near where they live. With future support, PSRF plans to use the Kelp Watch program to provide simple assessment tools that this community can use to qualify and quantify canopy kelp observations