The value of recovering Norway’s kelp forestsMacroalgae and Ecosystem Services (sponsored by Annals of Botany)

Johanna Sophie Zimmerhackel¹, Kjell Magnus Norderhaug², Karen Filbee-Dexter^1,2, Hege Gundersen³, Kasper Hancke³, Henning Steen², Thomas Wernberg¹

¹The University of Western Australia, Australia - ²Institute of Marine Research, Norway - ³Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway

Kelp forests are among the most important coastal ecosystems along temperate and polar coastlines. They provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, removal of excess nutrients, habitat for ecologically, culturally and commercially important species as well as recreational and cultural activities . Here, as part of the ‘Global Ecosystem Services Assessment for Kelp Forests’ (GEAK), we take a closer look at the current and future value of kelp forests in Norway, where extensive kelp forests have been lost since the 1970s due to sea urchin grazing and warming. In recognition of their socio-economic importance, the Norwegian government has recently declared it a goal to recover Norway’s lost kelp forests. We present a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits associated with restoring kelp forests in Norway by 2050. We examine two scenarios relative to ‘business as usual’ (no restoration): (i) recovering all of Norway’s lost kelp forests, as declared by the governments recent goal and (ii) preventing any future loss and restoring 30% of degraded kelp forests as implied by meeting the targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity. Our study might provide important insights for evidence-based decision making regarding the management of kelp forests in Norway and beyond.