OLYMPIA— Bull Kelp may soon get big help thanks to legislation sponsored by Rep. Greg Nance (D-Kitsap) to establish the aquatic plant as Washington state’s marine forest with House Bill 1631.
“Bull kelp is absolutely vital to protecting Puget Sound,” said Rep. Nance. “Naming bull kelp as our marine state forest will help raise awareness of this super seaweed and its critical role in saving endangered salmon and orca.”
From northern California up through the Alaskan coastline, bull kelp flourished for 32 million years in Pacific waters, but satellite images show that canopy rapidly dwindling from industrial pollution, rising water temperatures, and ocean acidification.
Bull kelp forests have vibrant biodiversity and are home to hundreds of species of marine life that symbiotically flourish. Kelp forests provide vital habitat for juvenile salmon to escape predators and get nourishment for their journey onto the Pacific. They are a food source for a wide variety of mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. In turn, the species that rely on bull kelp to survive become the food source for larger predators like Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas.
“There’s a new generation of conservationists and activists that are gearing up to take on the challenges of a rapidly changing planet,” Nance said. “Raising awareness around threatened resources is one of the tools we can use to alert folks to the need for immediate action. Thank you to stakeholders like Puget Sound Restoration Fund and Seattle Aquarium’s Youth Ocean Advocates that shared expert insight to make this bill better and who work every day to protect Puget Sound.”
The bill passed the House on Tuesday, February 4 with a unanimous vote of 97 to 0 and now advances to the Senate for consideration.