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Publications
Y. Springer, C. Hays, M. Carr and M. Mackey
Managing Bull Kelp Forests, 2006
Abstract:
Kelp forests provide important ecosystem and human benefits. In the United States, the commercial demand for kelp from the pharmaceutical and aquaculture industries has increased the extraction pressure on these ecosystems. Although giant kelp (Macrocystis spp.) has historically been the focus of commercial extraction, there is growing interest in harvesting bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) as well. Dr. Yuri Springer and his colleagues reviewed available information on the ecology of bull kelp. They found that if the harvest of bull kelp is regulated in the same manner as giant kelp, the result will be unsustainable. Bull kelp extraction is riskier than for the more common giant kelp because the parts of the bull kelp able to reproduce are the same parts that are harvested. Thus, harvesting the bull kelp is like cutting off a flower while harvesting the giant kelp is similar to mowing a lawn because the giant kelp is able to grow from the bottom up. The report includes several suggestions to improve the sustainability of the bull kelp harvest: (1) address extraction methods that can ensure that bull kelp can reproduce effectively; (2) account for the varied ecosystem functions of the species; and (3) coordinate throughout the species’ range to ensure that a broad-scale ecosystem approach is used.
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