San Diego Coastkeeper

Kelp Restoration & Monitoring

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Kelp Education

Coastkeeper offers its Kelp Education, Restoration and Monitoring program to schools throughout San Diego County from Imperial Beach to Carlsbad. Students receive four lessons covering kelp biology, kelp forest ecology, pollution prevention and ocean health.

Each participating school receives a portable marine aquarium called an "eco-Cart" in order to grow kelp in their school. The Coastkeeper biologist brings the reproductive blades of the kelp into the classroom and the students prepare them for use in their eco-Cart. Students and teachers are responsible for the care and maintenance of the growing environment, performing water changes and testing salinity and nutrient levels.

Eventually, the classroom grown kelp will be outplanted to our restoration site in Del Mar. Over 650 students in 21 classrooms are directly involved in the cultivation of kelp spores for out-planting to underwater restoration sites.

Many students end their year of ocean study with a field trip - a boat excursion to a local kelp forest, snorkeling with local coastal animals, or investigating and touching kelp forest animals at a local marine education center.