Project: GEcoKelp

Found in temperate and subpolar regions and extending along almost one third of the world’s coastlines, kelp forests are among the most diverse and productive marine ecosystems on Earth, providing goods and services worth billions of dollars annually. Despite their importance, kelp forests are at risk of degradation/decline as a result of climate change and human activities (e.g. pollution and overfishing).

The GEcoKelp project brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists to investigate the effects ocean warming and marine heatwaves on kelp forests in multi-stressor seascapes. The team will combine cutting edge seascape genomics, sophisticated aquarium culturing and field experiments with predictive models, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of environmnetal change for ecologically and economically important kelp forests (S. latissima, L. hyperborea) in Norway at the genomic, ecological and ecosystem levels.

This research aims to pave the way for a sustainable future ocean, through science-informed management and mitigation strategies to protect and restore these key coastal ecosystems and the valuable ecosystem services they provide.