Presented by: Nur Arafeh Dalmau, Carolina Olguin Jacobson, and Fiorenza Micheli with the Stanford University Doerr School of Sustainability Hopkins Marine Station
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 28, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC/6 pm CET
Description: Kelp forests are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems on the planet, supporting extraordinary biodiversity and coastal communities worldwide. Yet despite their ecological, social, and economic importance and growing threats from climate change and human impacts, less than 2% of kelp forests are currently effectively protected. MasKelp is a non-profit and fiscally sponsored project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to addressing this conservation gap through science, capacity building, and communication, with a particular focus on Latin America. MasKelp combines long-term ecological monitoring, satellite data, and collaborative research to identify priority areas for kelp conservation and translate this knowledge into practical conservation and management actions. Current projects include mapping climate refugia for kelp forests in Mexico and Argentina, monitoring kelp forest in Latin America, and supporting participatory science with fishing communities and conservation partners. This webinar will showcase how MasKelp connects science with conservation action, from identifying climate refugia and conservation gaps to building long-term ecological monitoring programs and strengthening local capacity. It will also highlight MasKelp’s training programs for scientific divers, kelp mappers, and conservation scientists and its efforts to raise global and local awareness of kelp forests through underwater photography, videography, storytelling, and scientific publications.
Hosted by: OCTO
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Sli0BqWxSfiQomXQafZWdw