Monterey Peninsula's Kelp Forest Suffers Unprecedented Decline.
A study has found that the massive marine heat wave of 2014-2016 caused kelp forests in the Monterey Peninsula to decline by 80% between 2014 and 2021, with the impact still being felt today. The decline is due to a combination of factors, including warmer ocean temperatures and a disease that decimated sunflower sea stars, a predator for purple sea urchins. Restoration efforts have been made, but the urchin barrens still stretch for miles along the coast. The study highlights the long-lasting impact of even brief periods of ocean warming, which are increasing with climate change.