Climate change, pollution, and overfishing—along with other human-driven disturbances—are driving the decline of kelp forests, often leading to the formation of sea urchin barrens as a dominant ecosystem state in temperate reefs. These unproductive states are reinforced by strong feedback mechanisms, making natural kelp recovery highly unlikely without extreme events (e.g., storms, disease outbreaks) or direct human intervention, such as urchin removal. As ocean conditions change, some regions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to this challenge. Striking examples are the ongoing range expansion of Centrostephanus rodgersii across Tasmania and Northern New Zealand. At the same time sea urchin mass mortalities of the genus Diadema have been registered worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for management action. In this workshop we will discuss the effects of changing climate on the impact of sea urchin barrens across temperate reefs.
Note that this workshop and the Kelp Forest Challenge workshop will be coordinated and timed to allow for interested participants to attend both.
Date: June 30th
If you are willing to attend this workshop please contact jboada@ceab.csic.es
