Just off California’s coast, a quiet underwater comeback is unfolding. Kelp forests—vital marine habitats often called the “rainforests of the sea”—are returning after years of devastation.
The collapse began when warming seas and disease wiped out sea stars, natural predators of purple sea urchins. Without checks, the urchins multiplied into the millions, mowing down kelp beds and leaving once-thriving ecosystems barren.
But communities didn’t give up. A coalition of divers, scientists, nonprofits, and local volunteers organized large-scale urchin removals. Over the past few years, they have pulled more than 5.8 million purple sea urchins from the seafloor—restoring more than 80 acres of kelp habitat.
“It’s backbreaking work, but every urchin pulled is a chance for kelp to regrow,” said one volunteer diver.
The effort has already sparked a resurgence. In places once called “urchin barrens,” fronds of kelp now stretch toward sunlight again, providing food and shelter for sea otters, fish, and countless marine species. Coastal communities are hopeful too—healthy kelp forests support fisheries, buffer coastlines, and even absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
This work is part of a broader movement across California, with groups like the Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project and local dive collectives leading the charge. Schools and community groups have even joined educational dives, teaching the next generation about marine stewardship.
The comeback is far from complete—thousands of acres of kelp remain degraded. But for the first time in years, divers say the ocean feels alive again.
“It looked like a cathedral, with light shooting through the stained glass … Sometimes you float down through this and there’s thousands of fish of all sorts of colors just flitting around everywhere. It’s like flying through an unimaginably dense forest of life.” — Tom Ford, CEO of the Bay Foundation
The revival of California’s kelp forests proves the power of persistence and community action. Even against climate change and ecological collapse, dedicated people can turn the tide. This story is a reminder that nature, when given help and time, is resilient—and so are we.
