South Puget Sound has already lost about two-thirds of its bull kelp forests. The bill before Washington State legislators could help with preservation
As bull kelp forests disappear from Puget Sound, a collaborative recovery effort is hoping that raising public awareness will show their importance to endangered species and a sustainable marine environment.
And what could be more public than making bull kelp the latest symbol of Washington State as the official marine forest?
House Bill 1631 was introduced Jan. 24 touting bull kelp as “critical to Washington’s identity, culture, economy and ecology.” The bill will have a public hearing Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 1:30 p.m. in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations. Members of the public can click here to indicate their support or opposition, or even testify.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is one of 38 entities that signed a letter of support to legislators.
“This is a value statement for the people of Washington to say we care about bull kelp and its vital role in the health of Puget Sound,” said Marc Heinzman, PDZA’s conservation manager. “Passing this bill deepens our commitment to the preservation of bull kelp forests and works toward ensuring they will thrive into the future.”
About 80 percent of bull kelp in Central and South Puget Sound have disappeared, according to a 2023 report from Washington’s Kelp Forest Monitoring Alliance.
Just south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, bull kelp beds have decreased 90 percent.
In an effort to preserve bull kelp forests, a Native Kelp Forest and Eelgrass Meadow Health and Conservation Plan was established in 2022 to meet the goal of conserving and restoring at least 10,000 acres of kelp forests and eelgrass meadows by 2040.
That same year, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium divers began conducting annual kelp surveys at Owen Beach, Titlow Beach and Foulweather Bluff to monitor what’s happening at the underwater sites.
On each survey, divers look for more than 70 kelp, fish and invertebrate species.
The results of each kelp survey are compiled into a shared database with other agencies like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What is bull kelp?
Bull kelp is a towering seaweed that provides food and shelter for salmon, Southern Resident orcas, sunflower stars, pinto abalone, rockfish, harbor seals, sea otters and more.
It doesn’t have a traditional root system but is often anchored to a single place and can grow more than one foot in a single day. Kelp also removes carbon dioxide from the ocean through photosynthesis.
When kelp disappears, it puts all the creatures that depend on it at risk. That includes underwater animals, shorebirds who need it for protein and invertebrates like sea cucumbers and crabs who receive sustenance when the kelp dies and sinks.
Since the 1870s, experts estimate that South Puget Sound has lost two-thirds of its bull kelp forests. Stressors like warming ocean temperatures, urbanization and water pollution have contributed to its decline.
In recognition of the underwater crisis, the state legislature passed a bill in 2022 requiring DNR to establish a conservation plan for bull kelp. The legislature also provided funding to begin implementing priorities of the Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan.
The bill currently proposed to name bull kelp as the state’s marine forest does not include a financial request.
Collaboration between tribes, nonprofits, government agencies and other partners has identified possible habitat for the 10,000-acre goal of bull kelp preservation and improved monitoring of bull kelp to develop effective restoration methods.
House Bill 1631
If Washingtonians believe something is important enough to represent the state, they can ask legislators to make it a state symbol. There are currently 27 state symbols ranging from official flower to official dinosaur.
Puget Sound Restoration Fund first came up with the idea of naming bull kelp the state’s official marine forest and intern Sebastian Ford ran with it.
Also a youth volunteer with Seattle Aquarium, Ford set out connecting agencies to work through the process and garner support and enthusiasm from 180 or so fellow youth volunteers.
“Oftentimes, young people are hungry to make a change and have an impact on the world,” Ford, 18, said. “We’re inheriting all the problems with the environment, and this is a chance to make a difference.”
The youth volunteers have created a tool kit with graphics, factsheet, social media posts and letter templates for newspaper editors and legislators.
“It’s a great way for youth to get involved in the policymaking process and see how it works,” said Nora Nickum, senior director of conservation programs at Seattle Aquarium. “If the bill passes, it will raise awareness about bull kelp and its importance in the ecosystem and with that awareness, build a better foundation for funding and restoration.”
Rep. Greg Nance, D-Kitsap, is the prime sponsor of the bill, which has 24 co-sponsors.
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