Kelp forests are among the most extensive and productive coastal ecosystems, yet they remain underrepresented in global conservation policy despite widespread declines driven by interacting global- (i.e., ocean warming, marine heatwaves) to local-scale stressors. At the same time, kelp conservation and restoration efforts are expanding rapidly across regions, but measures of success and syntheses tend to primarily focus on eco...

Aim We investigated how local‐scale environmental heterogeneity influences biodiversity patterns across broad biogeographic gradients, using intertidal microhabitats as a model system within one of the most environmentally stressful ecosystems on Earth. Location Intertidal habitats at 26 locations (two rocky shore sites per location) across six continents, spanning 98° of latitude (38°S to 60°N). Time Period 2019–2022. Major T...

Blue carbon habitats, which exhibit high rates of natural carbon sequestration, typically refer to salt marshes, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests. Recent studies, however, have argued for the inclusion of seaweed‐dominated habitats, like kelp forests, into blue carbon frameworks. Farmed seaweed may also function as a blue carbon habitat, with large‐scale seaweed aquaculture suggested as a climate change mitigation strate...

Seaweed cultivation, including kelp species, is rapidly expanding in many regions. A widely assumed co-benefit of seaweed farming is increased local carbon sequestration rates (thereby contributing to climate change mitigation), although direct field-based measurements of carbon assimilation and release are largely lacking. We quantified growth, erosion and dislodgement rates of farmed Saccharina latissima in Porthallow Bay (C...

Introduction To counteract the rapid loss of marine forests globally and meet international commitments of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Convention on Biological Diversity ‘30 by 30’ targets, there is an urgent need to enhance our capacity for macroalgal restoration. The Green Gravel Action Group (GGAG) is a global network of 67 members that are working on the restoration of a diverse range of macroalgal fores...

Kelp species function as foundation organisms in coastal marine ecosystems, where they alter environmental conditions and promote local biodiversity by providing complex biogenic habitat for an array of associated organisms. The structure and functioning of kelp forest ecosystems in some regions, such as along the Peruvian coastline, remain critically understudied. We quantified the structure and diversity of faunal assemblage...