Early Wins in Kelp Restoration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 12, 2025

Oregon Kelp Alliance Applauds Governor Kotek’s Historic Executive Order to Restore Ocean Resilience

Stewardship Initiative Shows Early Success in Kelp Forest Recovery

PORT ORFORD, OREGON – The Oregon Kelp Alliance (ORKA) celebrates Governor Tina Kotek’s Executive Order 25-26, a groundbreaking directive that positions Oregon’s kelp forests and nearshore ecosystems at the forefront of climate resilience efforts. The Executive Order, signed October 21, 2025, mandates state agencies take urgent action to promote the resilience of Oregon’s natural and working lands and waters – a vision that directly aligns with the ORKA’s ongoing restoration work.

“This Executive Order represents a historic moment for Oregon’s ocean ecosystems,” said Tom Calvanese, Director of the Oregon Kelp Alliance. “Governor Kotek recognizes what we’ve documented through years of research: Oregon’s kelp forests are experiencing dramatic declines due to the effects of sea star wasting disease and unprecedented increases in purple sea urchin populations. This directive elevates nearshore ocean resilience to the same level of importance as our land based ecosystems, and we’re proud that our work exemplifies the collaborative, science-based approach the Governor is calling for.”

Early Success in Kelp Forest Restoration

The Oregon Kelp Alliance’s recently launched Oregon Kelp Forest Stewardship Initiative, funded by NOAA’s Community-Based Restoration Program, is already demonstrating the effectiveness of the ecosystem-based approach championed in the Executive Order. In just five months since the project’s May 1, 2025 launch, the initiative has achieved remarkable progress:

  • Removed over 330,000 purple sea urchins from three restoration sites, dramatically reducing grazing pressure on recovering kelp forests
  • Successfully planted 32 bull kelps at Nellie’s Cove, with 19 reaching reproductive maturity and releasing millions of spores over two months
  • Relocated 24 critically endangered sunflower sea stars to restoration sites, beginning the process of restoring natural predator-prey dynamics
  • Trained 24 community volunteers as “kelp forest defenders,” building local capacity for long-term stewardship
  • Documented early ecological responses, including 281 juvenile fish and multiple adult fish species using restored habitat

“We’re seeing hopeful early signs of kelp recovery at sites like Macklyn Cove, where our combination of urchin removal and spore enhancement appears to be facilitating natural regrowth,” said Calvanese. “This is exactly the kind of adaptive, collaborative restoration the Governor’s Executive Order envisions – bringing together scientists, commercial divers, volunteers, and state agencies to restore essential fish habitat while supporting coastal communities.”

Building on a Foundation of Science

The Oregon Kelp Forest Stewardship Initiative builds on the ORKA’s 2024 Oregon Kelp Forest Status Report, the first comprehensive assessment of kelp forest health along the entire Oregon coast. That NOAA-funded baseline survey documented the extent of kelp forest decline and established monitoring protocols that are now guiding restoration priorities under the new initiative.

“Governor Kotek’s Executive Order calls for agencies to use existing plans and strategies and the best available science to define key resilience attributes for Oregon’s lands and waters,” noted Calvanese. “Our Status Report and ongoing monitoring provide exactly that scientific foundation for the nearshore environment. We’ve documented baseline conditions, identified priority sites, and are now demonstrating restoration techniques that can be scaled along the coast.”

The Executive Order specifically directs the Department of State Lands, Department of Land Conservation and Development, and Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, Oregon Ocean Science Trust, and Oregon Sea Grant to evaluate opportunities to support long-term resilience of nearshore resources and promote globally competitive ocean-reliant products derived through sustainable practices.

Partnership for Ocean Resilience

“The collaborative model we’ve developed exemplifies the partnership approach the Governor envisions,” said Calvanese. “We’re working with Reef Check Oregon, University of Oregon, California Polytechnic State University, commercial urchin divers, tribal members, ODFW, State Parks, and the Department of State Lands, bringing together the knowledge, ability, and desire to participate in climate solutions that the Executive Order recognizes in Oregon’s communities.”

The timing of the Executive Order is particularly significant as ORKA  prepares its first progress report to NOAA, demonstrating measurable outcomes in habitat restoration, community engagement, and ecosystem recovery. The report documents not only ecological success but also economic benefits, with the project providing more than 4,500 hours of gainful employment, including 110 hours of living-wage employment to commercial urchin divers while building expertise in restoration techniques.

Looking Ahead

As the state develops its Plan for a Resilient Oregon and implements the Executive Order’s directive to protect, conserve, connect, or restore ten percent of Oregon’s lands and waters within ten years, the Oregon Kelp Alliance stands ready to contribute its expertise and proven restoration approach.

“Oregon’s kelp forests are Essential Fish Habitat and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern designated by NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fisheries Management Council,” emphasized Calvanese. “They support commercially valuable groundfish species including rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, and kelp greenling, as well as sea urchin fisheries. Restoring these forests isn’t just an environmental imperative – it’s essential for the economic viability of coastal fishing communities and the recreational opportunities that define Oregon’s coast.”

The Oregon Kelp Alliance is expanding its restoration activities to six project sites in the coming year, continuing to refine techniques, expand volunteer involvement, and document ecological responses. With the support framework established by Executive Order 25-26, these efforts can serve as a model for scaling kelp forest restoration along the entire Oregon coast.

“This is a pivotal moment for Oregon’s ocean ecosystems,” concluded Calvanese. “Governor Kotek’s leadership, combined with the dedication of our coastal communities and the scientific expertise of our members and partners, gives us a real opportunity to reverse the decline of our kelp forests and build resilience that will benefit Oregon for generations to come.”

About the Oregon Kelp Alliance

The Oregon Kelp Alliance is a coalition of scientists, conservation organizations, commercial urchin divers, tribal citizens, and coastal communities working to restore and preserve Oregon’s kelp forest ecosystems. Through science-based restoration, community engagement, and policy advocacy, ORKA  is addressing the urgent threats facing Oregon’s nearshore marine environments while supporting the livelihoods and communities that depend on healthy ocean ecosystems. For more information, visit oregonkelp.com.

Media Contact:

Tom Calvanese, Director

Justin Myers, Communications Lead

Oregon Kelp Alliance

Email: tom.calvanese@oregonkelpalliance.com, j.myers@saltwatersocialclub.co

Phone: 415.309.6568 (Tom)