Kelp forests cover 25% of the world’s coastlines and contain high biodiversity rates around the world. But they have been in decline in recent years, leaving many species without a food source and a home, and resulting in a great shift in the ecosystem. Restoration of these forests has proved to be difficult, as researchers must address the numerous causes driving deforestation while simultaneously attempting to restore kelp populations. This review will discuss recent research on methods taken to restore kelp forests in different areas of the world.
Most of us are familiar with the ongoing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that over 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. Through UV degradation and choppy currents, these big pieces of plastic break down into tiny microplastics (pieces less than 5mm in size) which threaten marine animals that mistake these pollutants for food.
Over 14 million tons of microplastics, pieces of plastic less than 5mm (MPs), have accumulated in the world's oceans to date. Along the California coastline, this is attributed to high urbanization in former wetland habitats. A focal organism in this environmental issue is the eelgrass, a marine plant whose beds were once widespread along the California coastline but has since shrunk by 90% over the last century due to coastal urbanization. The remaining beds of the most common genus, Zostera, concentrate within bays and estuaries that receive an influx of inland freshwater; as a result they collect a large portion of MP-contaminated urban runoff. This paper will elucidate the mechanisms in which MPs get trapped in Zostera beds, as well as examine the ecological impacts this has. These findings will help to discuss Zostera restoration for its possible utility as a bioremediation crop for removal of MPs from water.
