During Earth Month this April, we are partnering with SeaTrees once again. For every purchase of a Nixon sustainable product, we will donate to kelp forest restoration research.
Why are we supporting this initiative? Coastal kelp forests provide habitats and food for hundreds of marine species. Kelp also sequesters C02 from the atmosphere, which helps counteract climate change.
Restoring the Kelp Forests of La Jolla, California
According to SeaTrees, “The giant kelp forests of La Jolla [...] have declined by up to 90% since a marine heatwave in 2014-2015 wiped them out, and they have not yet re-grown despite water temperatures having returned to normal.”
SeaTrees says that a “lack of seed bank and changing ocean dynamics” are causing La Jolla’s kelp deforestation.
To figure out a way to bring kelp back, SeaTrees is partnering with scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Together, they will research and act with four main objectives in mind:
- Measure the health of La Jolla’s kelp forests in and around the areas where recent losses have occurred
- Identify the reasons for the loss of kelp forest in the area
- Identify and test new restoration techniques
- Monitor and analyze the results in relation to the rate of loss
The partnership between SeaTrees and Scripps, called the Kelp Restoration Science Initiative, has the potential to inform kelp restoration projects across the state and beyond.
How to Get Involved
Here are two things you can do to get involved with the Kelp Restoration Science Initiative:
- Visit our collection of sustainable products. Each purchase made from this collection during the month of April becomes a donation directly to this project.
- Visit the SeaTrees website and see how you can support them directly.
