Editing Kelp (section)

== Conservation ==
Overfishing nearshore ecosystems leads to the degradation of kelp forests. Herbivores are released from their usual population regulation, leading to over-grazing of kelp and other algae. This can quickly result in barren landscapes where only a small number of species can thrive.<ref name="Dayton 1985a">Dayton, P.K. 1985a. Ecology of kelp communities. ''Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics'' 16: 215-245.</ref><ref name="Sala1998">Sala, E., C.F. Bourdouresque and M. Harmelin-Vivien. 1998. Fishing, trophic cascades, and the structure of algal assemblages: evaluation of an old but untested paradigm. ''Oikos'' 82: 425-439.</ref> Other major factors which threaten kelp include [[marine pollution]] and the quality of water, [[climate change]]s and certain invasive species.<ref>{{cite web |last=Planet |first=Team |date=2012-01-12 |title=Green Glossary: Kelp Forests: Other Marine Life: Animal Planet |url=http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/green-glossary-kelp-forest.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024222944/http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/green-glossary-kelp-forest.htm |archive-date=2012-10-24 |access-date=2013-02-12 |publisher=Animals.howstuffworks.com}}</ref>

Kelp forests are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world - they are home to a great diversity of species. Many groups, like those at the [[Seattle Aquarium]], are studying the health, habitat, and population trends in order to understand why certain kelp (like [[bull kelp]]) thrives in some areas and not others. [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle|Remotely Operated Vehicles]] are used in the surveying of sites and the data extracted is used to learn about which conditions are best suited for kelp restoration. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kelp and coastal ecosystems |url=https://www.seattleaquarium.org/conservation/research/kelp-coastal-ecosystems/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Seattle Aquarium |language=en-US}}</ref>