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Santa Cruz Kelp Beds Are Recovering Despite Sea Urchins

CSEF · 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Track 2) (Junior Division)

Linden Hunter-Pinsky

Overview

Kelp forests declined across California in 2014 from sea star wasting disease and a heatwave, though some are now recovering. I was inspired to use accessible technology to explore this hidden ecosystem near me. Because urchins are the main consumers of kelp, I hypothesized that the recovering kelp forests would have fewer urchins than other forests. Based on satellite data from Kelpwatch, I went to two recovering, two declining, and two stable kelp beds. I used a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) from a local non-profit to measure urchin density from videos. I found that all six kelp beds have similar urchin densities. I conclude that urchins in Santa Cruz aren’t preventing recovery. Other factors like runoff, sedimentation, or currents could instead be limiting recovery in some beds. Future research could survey more kelp beds in Monterey Bay to build a more general understanding for the area.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-09-20

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