Ali Boutros joins 9 others as an SOA Leadership for Climate Resilient Fisheries Fellow
Ali Boutros, is a second year Masters Fellow the Coastal Science & Policy Program. For her capstone project, she is documenting the most effective means of fostering community-led restoration efforts of kelp forests in two areas-Tankers Reef and Caspar Cove. Her findings will provide valuable insights that will inform the development of California’s Kelp Restoration & Management Plan, and complement existing and robust kelp restoration initiatives at The Nature Conservancy. As a Leadership for Climate Resilient Fisheries Fellow, Ali will be advancing community-led kelp restoration in California.
Ali’s project works to address kelp forest loss from recent and recurring marine heat waves in northern California (CA) (these heat waves have caused a devastating loss of over 90% of local kelp forest). Because kelp is a NOAA-designated Essential Fish Habitat and is a state-managed fishery, conservation and restoration of this habitat is critical. While the restoration literature highlights the crucial role of community involvement in effective ecological restoration, there remains limited understanding on how to effectively leverage community involvement and leadership. In response to strong citizen support and public processes, the CA Fish and Game Commission temporarily permitted:
- the unlimited take of purple and red sea urchins at a site in Monterey County (Tanker’s Reef); and
- permitted the unlimited take of purple urchins at a site in Mendocino County (Caspar Cove).
The purpose of this temporary regulation change is to better understand the impact of community-led (diver, fisherfolk, etc) urchin culling on kelp restoration.
Read more about Ali and other Sustainable Ocean Alliance fellows here.