CoastKeeper Hires Nancy Caruso to Bring Back Orange County's Kelp Forests.

Business Editors & Environmental Writers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 2002

A Haven for Fish and a Mainstay in Consumer Products, Orange County's

Kelp Forests Have Dramatically Deteriorated Over the Past 30 Years

For more than 30 years, Orange County has been slowly losing an important resource -- the kelp forests that have dappled the blue waters of our world-famous beaches.

With a federal grant, Orange County CoastKeeper is taking big steps to rejuvenate the once-plentiful forests in the waters off local beaches. To spearhead the project, Orange County CoastKeeper, a non-profit organization founded in 1999, tapped Nancy Caruso, a marine biologist and veteran diver, to head up the project to revitalize the kelp forests.

Before joining CoastKeeper, Caruso was a biologist with the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. She holds a bachelor of science from the Florida Institute of Technology.

"Kelp is the bottom of the food chain, and in order to regain balance in our coastal ecosystem, kelp reforesting is critical," said Caruso. "Besides being a food source for smaller fish, and providing a habitat for more than 1000 species of animals, kelp is an important ingredient in products and foods we use everyday including salad dressing, toothpaste, and ice cream."

Orange County kelp forests began disappearing 30 years ago with a harsh El Nino in the late 1970's. Increased water pollution and oversedimentation have also contributed to the reduced kelp forests.

CoastKeeper has already planted a test site and giant kelp is now growing successfully in Crystal Cove State Park. The goal for the remaining three-year grant is to reforest 10 different sites in the waters off Newport and Laguna Beach. New kelp growth may double the food available for sea urchins, snails, abalone, and half-moon perch, which could expand the area's population of sheephead and rockfish exponentially.

"Seasoned fisherman know that where there is kelp, there is fish," added Caruso. "Bringing back the kelp beds in Orange County can potentially revive local fishing, and will certainly enhance the local diving experience."

Anyone interested in volunteering as a diver to plant or monitor the kelp can contact CoastKeeper at 949/723-5424, ext.306.

Based in Newport Beach, Orange County CoastKeeper is a non-profit, grass-roots environmental group dedicated to the preservation and protection of Orange County's harbors and coastlines.