Satellite imagery shows Northern California kelp forests have collapsed
I am a diver in NorCal and regularly participate in sea urchin culling.<p>The state had been horrible at allowing ANY action to combat the kelp forest collapse.<p>A blight wiped out the sea stars.  The lack of sea stars caused a 100x jump in urchin population.<p>Urchins eat kelp.  Worst yet, they only eat the bottom part, and then 99% of the kelp floats away.<p>The state banned even the most modest actions.<p>You need a fishing license to harvest urchins.<p>You could only harvest 20 per day.  Recently it’s upped to unlimited though.<p>You had to harvest the urchin, which is way more involved than simply smashing them with a hammer.  Smashing in NorCal is only allowed in a spot in Monterey and Fort Bragg.  The myth that smashing leads to spawning was laid to rest long ago and yet the authorities were still paralyzed.  The paralysis lasted so long that everything is just a barren desert.<p>Sea urchins can live 100 years in a semi dormant starvation state.  This isn’t some case where letting them starve out for a season will bring back the kelp.