Is the bull kelp rebounding?

There needs to be more dive days every year and get rid of the more heavily populated urchin spots! The more we can clean out the faster the kelp can recover. I wish DFG would start re locating some sea otters from SC and Monterey area to some of the northern areas where the kelp is making a come back! They would put the urchins in check fast and the kelp beds would grow as the otters population and area expands. I know they can’t move otters to an area with no kelp but there are some areas where the kelp beds are getting thick enough to sustain some otters.

I had similar thoughts and then learned that sea otters need Giant Kelp, and it’s not found north of SF Bay I believe.

Just an ignorant question/observation, but I thought Russian River/Fort Ross, etc., were all established based on otter fur trade??

Or are you saying the the bull kelp has been eliminated from these historical ranges north of SF?

Growing up in Mendocino I use to see sea otters. My parents and grand parents said they use to be everywhere up there. There use to be bull kelp everywhere up there. It didn’t just grow out there and then just stop once it hit San Fran. It will make a come back but it needs help! And then it need animals that will help protect it ling term.

I’m curious how old you are and where and when you saw sea otters up there?

Giant kelp and bull kelp are different.

https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/ecosystems/kelpdesc.html

I’m curious how old you are and where and when you saw sea otters up there?

My age is irrelevant but old enough to remember seeing a few of them in the early 80’s. From what I was told their population was wiped out by the fur trade.

It's not many, but I've had 2 sea otter sightings in Marin County in the last 8-10 years

Back in '07, I was on patrol along the SF Waterfront and came across a sea otter just off of the Ferry Building -- definitely not a common sight.  We noticed it had a tag, so we approached it to read the tag number and call the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center.  It wound up hopping aboard and hanging out.  It was obviously a rescue from the MBA and the Marine Mammal Center confirmed that for us.  They said it was also radio tagged, but since it left the aquarium's range, they assumed a shark had a good meal of it.  I wound up giving it a ride out of the Golden Gate to increase its chances of survival.  We heard a few weeks later that mobile radio folks had picked up its signal off of Marin, so it was headed North.  So, they do wind up North every now and again.  Here's some video we shot... apologies for the quality (2007 cell phone video) and the constant rotation (boat crew was better boat crew than videographers).

Hi, I just saw this one, for the first time. It is a bit hopeful ....maybe
https://baynature.org/2021/09/13/kelp-forests-surge-back-on-the-north-coast-with-a-lesson-about-stable-environments/

I wanted to add an update to my comment I posted earlier. I had a conversation a few weeks ago with a wildlife biologist about relocating some sea otters to help with the urchin problem. They said it’s a really good idea but the sea otters love eating abalone and with the declining red abalone population they aren’t able to relocate or allow any sea otters north of San Francisco until the abalone population rebounds.

Hi, I just saw this one, for the first time. It is a bit hopeful ....maybe
https://baynature.org/2021/09/13/kelp-forests-surge-back-on-the-north-coast-with-a-lesson-about-stable-environments/

Yup, the article is written by Alastair Bland aka DayTripper on this board ...cheers!!

I wanted to add an update to my comment I posted earlier. I had a conversation a few weeks ago with a wildlife biologist about relocating some sea otters to help with the urchin problem. They said it’s a really good idea but the sea otters love eating abalone and with the declining red abalone population they aren’t able to relocate or allow any sea otters north of San Francisco until the abalone population rebounds.

I did spend some time many years ago tracking and censusing Otters. and from what I learned I don't agree with the biologist. Sea
Otters got a bad rap for Abalone predation back then too and we had plenty of kelp.
Bottom line is Otters can eat up to 70 Urchins a day. Less Urchins means more kelp. More kelp means more Abalone. Otters are part of what nature decided should be over the course of tens of thousands of years.
Nowdays, Otters are a missing part. The possibility of Otters eating a few more Abalone in the short term is short sighted (IMHO) in terms of what good they can do in the long run

Must be hungry. Just watched tedski's sea otter video, and first thought was neat critters. Then wonderings how appetizing and tasty them things would be..

I wanted to add an update to my comment I posted earlier. I had a conversation a few weeks ago with a wildlife biologist about relocating some sea otters to help with the urchin problem. They said it’s a really good idea but the sea otters love eating abalone and with the declining red abalone population they aren’t able to relocate or allow any sea otters north of San Francisco until the abalone population rebounds.

I did spend some time many years ago tracking and censusing Otters. and from what I learned I don't agree with the biologist. Sea
Otters got a bad rap for Abalone predation back then too and we had plenty of kelp.
Bottom line is Otters can eat up to 70 Urchins a day. Less Urchins means more kelp. More kelp means more Abalone. Otters are part of what nature decided should be over the course of tens of thousands of years.
Nowdays, Otters are a missing part. The possibility of Otters eating a few more Abalone in the short term is short sighted (IMHO) in terms of what good they can do in the long run

I agree with you! I can write a book about what DFG and this state is doing wrong or not doing at all to help our wildlife but I’ll don’t feel like getting pissed off right now lol…. So I’ll just sum it all up as this state has been ran by idiots for the last decade + and still is today. Hopefully one day our voices will be loud enough for someone to listen and make the changes needed! This state is trying to be all environmental friendly but once it’s actually talking about wildlife they take 2 steps backwards.