Dan McNeill Gwiisihlgaa dons his scuba gear, grabs a rake that measures two feet in length, and retrieves his catch bag before plunging into the waters of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago located off the northern coast of British Columbia. He is on the hunt for urchins, using his metal implement to scoop these spiky marine invertebrates into his bag.
As the marine stewardship director of the Council of the Haida Nation, McNeill is actively engaged in efforts to safeguard the region’s declining kelp stocks.
“For us, it’s more than just food,” he states regarding the extensive brown algae. “It embodies our cultural identity and is integral to who we are.”
Promoting Seafood Growth
McNeill’s diving activities are part of the “Chiix̱uu Tll iinasdll: Promoting Seafood Growth” initiative, which aims to restore a kelp forest area in Gwaii Haanas from 2017 to 2021.
The goal of gathering urchins is to mend an imbalanced food web. Historically, sea otters were significant predators of urchins until their local extinction during the 18th and 19th-century maritime fur trade.
Without their natural predators, urchin populations have exploded, leading to excessive damage to kelp. This vital resource holds cultural significance for the Haida Nation and plays a crucial role in global biodiversity and environmental health.
Kelp thrives along shorelines globally, providing nourishment and habitat for marine life. Like terrestrial forests, kelp absorbs carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus during photosynthesis while releasing oxygen, serving as a crucial factor in combatting climate change. Its contributions to fisheries and nitrogen elimination generate upwards of $500 billion each year worldwide.
However, the Haida Nation is not alone in facing kelp degradation. Over the last five decades, more than half of the planet’s kelp forests have diminished, posing threats to coastal biodiversity, water purity, and atmospheric carbon levels.
An Urgent Concern
Underwater ecosystems are vanishing rapidly due to reasons such as habitat destruction, overharvesting, overgrazing, and pollution. Additional pressures come from climate change and sediment buildup caused by runoff from logging, dredging, and storms. Despite a long history of ocean conservation, efforts to preserve and restore kelp are a much newer focus.
“The ocean tends to receive less attention compared to terrestrial ecosystems, and there is often a significant emphasis on coral reefs,” states Aaron Eger of the Kelp Forest Alliance, an organization dedicated to safeguarding global kelp populations. “There are multiple biases affecting the allocation of conservation resources.”
This lack of visibility was highlighted in a 2021 study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, which assessed the representation of kelp forests in international environmental governance. It was discovered that kelp forests are referenced far less frequently than seagrass meadows, salt marshes, coral reefs, and mangroves.
A Call to Collective Action
In 2023, Eger’s group introduced the Kelp Forest Challenge, a worldwide initiative urging individuals, corporations, and governments to commit to restoring 1 million hectares and protecting 3 million hectares of kelp habitat by the year 2040.
Efforts to restore these vital forests begin with addressing the causes of their decline. Measures such as managing urchin populations or improving water and sediment quality can significantly benefit endangered kelp, while seeding or transplanting juvenile kelp can facilitate the creation of new forests.
“It’s still in the early stages, but our progress is on track,” shares Eger regarding the pledges monitored through a public dashboard created to visualize the initiative’s advancement. “However, it will necessitate greater international commitment and an enhanced collaborative restoration strategy.”
While nations like Japan and Korea boast a long history of restoration projects, and regions such as California and Washington are establishing frameworks for conservation and rehabilitation, the Kelp Forest Challenge currently stands as the sole international conservation program of its kind.
A Web of Interconnections
In Haida Gwaii, the guiding ethics and principles of the Haida Nation emphasize interconnectedness. The concept of Gina ‘waadluxan gud ad kwaagid serves as a poignant reminder that all elements within the biosphere rely on one another—a consideration crucial for recognizing the fragility and susceptibility of ecosystems. McNeill highlights this understanding in relation to the decline of kelp in the area.
“Sea otters played a vital role in maintaining urchin populations, and their absence alters the entire ecosystem,” remarks McNeill. “This illustrates the deep interconnections within our system.”
This article first appeared in the April 2025 issue of Thewindowsclubs magazine.
