The world's first officially-named kelp forest

Kelp forest underwater — Kelp forests can grow up to two feet per day, and are some of the fastest-growing organisms on the planet. Image: Shutterstock

The Coogee reef off the coast of Australia is set to be officially named – here’s why names matter in conservation

A kelp forest off the coast of Sydney, Australia is set to make history by being the first kelp forest to be officially named in the world. Stretching for around seven hectares, the Coogee reef – home to restored crayweed forests – is being formally named following a community workshop led by Operation Crayweed, formed back in 2011.

Locals have been invited to propose names for this underwater forest, much like how a national park or landscape feature on land would be given a designated name.

The site of Coogee is one of the most successful marine restoration stories globally. Crayweed once formed dense underwater forests along Sydney’s coast, but it disappeared from around 70 kilometres of coastline in the 1980s, largely due to pollution. It didn’t naturally recover, even after water quality improved.

To combat this, Operation Crayweed stepped in. It transplanted adult seaweed onto reefs, triggered natural reproduction of ‘craybies’ and re-established self-sustaining forests. Now, these forests support hundreds of marine species, act as carbon sinks and rebuild coastal food webs.

Kelp forests cover around 25 per cent of the world’s coastlines. Image: Shutterstock

Efforts to restore kelp forests are mostly physical, but conservationists argue that protection must go beyond this to incorporate naming as a form of protection.

The naming initiative of Coogee reef is part of an emerging international movement that is slowly gaining traction. Traditionally, forests, mountains and reefs have been named, whereas kelp forests are mostly anonymous. By naming Coogee officially, it is hoped it will encourage local stewardship and cultural connection. After all, a named place feels easier to envision: take ‘the Amazon’ versus an anonymous placeholder like ‘a tropical forest’.

Why are kelp forests so important?

Kelp forests are home to a greater variety of plants and animals than almost any other ocean community. Many organisms use the blades of kelp as a shelter for their young, or a place to stay during rough storms.

In terms of economic value, kelp forests generate approximately $500bilion annually in ecosystem services, such as capturing carbon and removing nutrient pollution like nitrogen and phosphorous from the water column.

This type of algae also acts as a natural form of coastal protection against tidal waves, helping to reduce wave sizes by up to 60 per cent according to one study.

However, across the last 50 years, climate change, poor water quality and overfishing have damaged 40 to 60 per cent of kelp forests, threatening the ecosystems’ viability.