Kelp Project History
Written by Diane Sampson, Administrator and Member, Nile Creek Enhancement Society
Beginning around the 1960s, the kelp began to disappear. Following the disappearance of the kelp forests, a decline in fish and invertibrates, dependent on the kelp beds, was observed. Anecdotal information suggested several causes:
- large populations of sea urchins,
- permits for harvesting that, most likely, did not include sustainability requirements
- poor forestry practices and
- increased urban development.
Many years following the rehabilitation of Nile Creek by the volunteers of Nile Creek Enhancement Society (NCES), it became evident that there was little sense in rehabilitating the freshwater habitats of spawning salmon if we didn't, also, look at the needs of their marine environment. The stories told of the thick kelp beds that existed in the local waters led to the realization that this is where the focus of the marine restoration should begin.
We began by obtaining the advice of Dr. Louis Druehl, a renowned authority on kelp who works out of Bamfield on the westcoast of Vancouver Island. Led by his advice and discussions with other scientists from British Columbia, Washington and California, we began a preliminary spore collection for replantation in the fall of 2006.
In 2006 and 2007, Bull kelp spore patches, taken only from plants in the Georgia Basin, were transplanted using two methods. Some of these patches were transported from Dr. Druehl's lab in Bamfield for the creation of seed plants. The remainder of the spore patches were placed in netted bags with rocks and dropped at ten meter intervals from the Nile Creek estuary north. When the seed plants were ready, the seeded line was also planted; the first year the lines were threaded around a rope between pressure buoys and weighted at the two ends of the line, situating the plants a few feet above the bottom. The second year the seeded line was also placed in netted bags with rocks for weight.
Comments continue to be received from many residents of the area and from adjacent islands that they have witnessed increased kelp along the beaches. Kelp was also seen growing south of the first year's planting area, indicating plants had produced seed naturally.
The difficulty along our local coast is the amount of sand. Kelp needs to have heavy rock on which to attach and secure itself to an area. The rock used in our planting has been drifting from the planted locations, but has allowed for reseeding in adjacent areas.
This year, to begin to secure the kelp in the local area, artificial reefs, made and donated by Island Scallops, have been placed, with the seeded line attached, along the local shores. Future plantings will continue to be done on the existing reefs, as well as on additional reefs. Using divers, we will begin to monitor the re-establishment of the kelp ecosystems and identify the individual species.
NCES has been receiving requests from other groups and individuals about planting kelp in their own areas. This spring, we provided seeded line and materials to locale citizens on Lasqueti Island and assisted them in beginning the rehabilitation of their kelp where large beds once existed.
The members of Nile Creek Enhancement Society will continue their artificial reef kelp project locally and will assist others in their efforts to bring back the kelps beds to the Georgia Basin.
Kelp: large seaweeds (algae) belonging to the brown algae (class Phaeophyceae) and are classified as the order Laminariales.
Eelgrass: (Zostera marina and Zostera japonica) is a small genus of widely distributed seagrass.
Groyne: a breakwater; a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away.
Salmonids: is a family of ray-finned fish that includes salmon, trout, chars, freshwater whitefishes and graylings
Bull kelp: Nereocystis (Greek for "mermaid's bladder") leutkeana
Giant kelp: Macrocystis pyrifera