Kelp forests are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth
A single kelp forest supports hundreds of species. It absorbs carbon 20× faster than land forests. And in Aotearoa, we've lost vast stretches of it — because the creatures that kept kina in check are gone.
50% of shallow reef kelp around Little Barrier Island is now barren. Snapper and crayfish — the natural kina predators — have been fished out, and the kina have taken over.
Kelp reefs in the Hauraki Gulf store nearly $8M NZD worth of carbon. Losing them accelerates warming. Restoring them is one of the highest-impact climate actions available.
Kina graze kelp to bare rock, creating deserts underwater. Barrens are growing at 1–2% per decade. Without intervention, some regions face ecosystem collapse within 15 years.
43 urchin barren hotspots exist worldwide. Australia, Japan, California, Norway — the same crisis, different species. Kelp Helpers' model is designed to scale.
Backed by University of Auckland research, Live Ocean Foundation science, and international kelp restoration data.