Will The Kelp Return?

[drbill]

It still is although not during periods of extreme Sargassum density (usually following warm water periods like El Niños). When waters are m,ore normal and giant kelp develops canopy, it overshades the Sargassum which then becomes a much more sparse understory alga.

As for the filthiest beach, that only applies to the shallow areas of Avalon Bay, not the rest of the 54 miles coastline around the island. I think you will find that the vast majority of our coastal waters are much cleaner than anything you'll find on the adjacent mainland.

Wow. That is so sad.

Catalina used to be a great diving and snorkelling spot.

But it's also been ranked amongst the filthiest beaches in California for years so I'm not entirely surprised.

 

[sbtag]

Thanks for the replies. So it sounds like there still is some kelp around, just not a lot of it. I do hope it grows back and things return to their splendor. I was hoping to hit up the dive park at Catalina some point soon so that might be an option for me. Are the warmer waters noticable? Are more people ditching the dry suits for wet suits or not quite?

After reading about this kelp decimation here I did read up on this and it appears the situation is a lot worse than something that just happens every now and then due to El Nino cycles.

This isn't normal for southern California. This Sargasdum sea weed is an invasive species introduced from Japan and was only first seen in So Cal waters a little over 10 years ago. It apparently has been spreading like wild fire.

This appears to be an underreported natural disaster.

The waters off Catalina Island were a real natural treasure. As recently as 2010, when I was last there, you could see things rivaling scenes from the best Natural Geographic documentaries right off the shore. Huge swarming bait ball shows, vast numbers of diverse fish species, bat rays, interesting invertebrates. It was a real show.

I find this very disturbing.

 

[sbtag]

It still is although not during periods of extreme Sargassum density (usually following warm water periods like El Niños). When waters are m,ore normal and giant kelp develops canopy, it overshades the Sargassum which then becomes a much more sparse understory alga.

As for the filthiest beach, that only applies to the shallow areas of Avalon Bay, not the rest of the 54 miles coastline around the island. I think you will find that the vast majority of our coastal waters are much cleaner than anything you'll find on the adjacent mainland.

I haven't been to Catalina in 6 years.

How bad is the situation? That place heard to be exploding with fish. How does the quantity and diversity of fauna now compare to 6 years ago?

 

[drbill]

The combination of factors involved in the decimation of our giant kelp (Macrocystis) forests off Catalina is a perfect storm situation. Yet CDF&W seems more concerned with the bull kelp (Nereocystis) up north (which apparently is also in quite a crisis situation). I have to wonder if their focus further north may have something to do with the fact that their Invasive Species Group completely dropped the ball on the Sargassum horneri invasion when it first began in 2003 (the winter of 2005-06 out here on the island) despite warnings from several scientists. Of course the inaction by that group may have been mandated by the upper levels of the CDF&W bureaucracy.

The presence of the Sargassum has altered the normal cycle giant kelp experiences due to warm water events like El Niños.

Over the last week or so we have seen pulses of cooler water enter the Casino Point Dive Park which will enhance the recovery of giant kelp. After a year in which I don't believe I had more than one or two dives with min temps below 60° F at depth (80-100 fsw), some are recording current temps as low as 53-55° F.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I drove around the Palos Verdes peninsula yesterday (conditions still suck) and there is still plenty of kelp here. Of course, you can barely see it underwater. Water temps during my last two dives were in the low 50s.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I had 15m visibility with fair water clarity at Blue Caverns on Saturday, with still a "warm" temperature reading of 14deg C at 27m max depth. Instead of that wonderful & magical thick kelp forest that you had to comb through to get to that first cavern at 21m in the past, there is nothing but rock wall --and waving sargassum to see. . .