Report: Catalina Dive Park Kelp May 15, 2015

[tye1138]

Went out today to check the kelp status and it's looking good. Seems the stuff doesn't want to grow over 60 degrees because the moment I got below that thermocline, the kelp was everywhere on the south part of the park. I was shocked because in the center and to the left, it's simply not deep enough, but on the right south side, it drops down to 80 feet and we've got a forrest growing! That old wooden boat on it's side is about where the kelp starts and it goes right past the park's outer marker at around 50ft - 80ft and maybe deeper. I was with some beginner divers, so I couldn't go deeper to see what was going on. However, I'm VERY excited and have some video to share!

https://youtu.be/msba8fAK95o

Edit: Ohh and my friends were in 7mm suits and BOTH froze their asses off. Neither one would go past that 65 - 60 deg thermocline. I dive dry and there were parts I was pretty cold myself.

 

[drbill]

I finally dove the park Saturday and, yes, the kelp is beginning to recover at the south end. I'd hardly call it a forest, but there is a lot more than there was a month ago. I saw no evidence of any surface canopy and much of the kelp looked pretty straggly in its upper levels possibly due to warmer water temperatures (= lower nutrient levels). Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) begins to die off when temperatures above 68 F persist for a week or two. Colder water, occasionally "upwelled" from the adjacent harbor mouth especially during winds from the south, keep that end generally healthier for kelp. I dove it in my 3/2mm wetsuit (as I have the past 12 months) and the temperature at 100 fsw was 63 F.

 

[tye1138]

Ohh Bill, you don't need a wet suit, you're mostly fish anyway! LOL

 

[Jones in LA]

Oh, my... the Dive Park without kelp would be for me, unrecognizable!

 

[tye1138]

The huge forrest on the left is just rocks and sand. It's like the wrath of god came and whisked it all away! So sad…

Watch the video above!

 

[jscan1]

Assuming it even recovers from the very warm waters we've had over the past 12 months. This has been a very sad period for me. As a kelp forest ecologist, I like nice healthy kelp forests to explore and study (although events like these are also important to investigate).

Staying above 40 ft did limit your ability to see the kelp that is in the deeper, cooler water. Not much there either though. Out towards the harbor end of the park there is more kelp even though the invasive Sargassum horneri is still fairly thick out there, too. It has prevented the giant kelp gametophytes from forming new sporophytes because it literally cuts off the light to the rocky substrate (and sucks what little nutrients are left in the warm waters out). In years past before the Sargassum gained its strong foothold, recovery of the giant kelp was much easier.

I always Like and respect Dr. Bill's posts, but in respect to wearing a 3/2 in So. Ca., I'm giving a flat out "Oh Hell No!", If I'm doing one shore dive in So. Ca. then its a 7mm, and anything on a boat is dry...I think the surface interval and our often cool air temps kill you as much as the cool water and I'm always erring on more than I need! More power to him though, as long as he doesn't ring in his 10,000 dive nude in the dive park

 

[tye1138]

That's why I said DR Bill is half fish!

 

[drbill]

Hey, I've just got more bioprene ("natural" insulation) than most and it keeps me warm!

 

[Jones in LA]

The huge forrest on the left is just rocks and sand. It's like the wrath of god came and whisked it all away! So sad…

Watch the video above!

Sorry I missed it earlier -- your video is top notch!

 

[tye1138]

Ohh if you like that… here is the forrest before the decimation!

https://vimeo.com/98613936