GET BY WITH A LITTLE KELP FROM MY FRIENDS DIVERS LAUNCH A COMEBACK PROGRAM.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

A handful of Southern California divers are taking the ocean's problems into their own hands.

The Santa Monica BayKeeper, Orange County CoastKeeper and three other Southern California CoastKeeper organizations have begun efforts to restore kelp along the California coast. The groups believe the effort eventually will lead to a return of the vast natural ecosystem along California's coastline, teeming with plant and animal life.

``The thought is that the kelp has a lot of obstacles to overcome and our work can help it come back,'' Orange County CoastKeeper marine biologist Nancy Caruso said.

The two Southland keeper programs, along with CoastKeeper programs in San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara, were awarded a three-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last October.

``We're working hand-in-hand with NOAA,'' said BayKeeper biologist Brendan Reed. ``We can take advantage of NOAA's resources and they will be diving with us. We're excited about the prospects.''

Reed began a pilot project three years ago in a test spot at Rocky Point off Palos Verdes, using different restoration methods. BayKeeper is restoring kelp at three sites at Escondido Beach in Malibu. It also is monitoring 11 sites from Malibu to Palos Verdes. OC CoastKeeper is restoring kelp at Crystal Cove State Park's Wheeler's Reef and monitoring other sites at Crystal Cove, near Laguna Beach. The area is considered one of Orange County's prime diving sites and one of the most noted areas for bottlenose dolphin breeding.

California CoastKeeper did aerial surveys of the reef and compared kelp beds to those of 30 years ago. The pictures, Reed and Caruso say, are not pretty.

``All up and down the coast, it's not what it used to be,'' Reed said.

CoastKeeper is collecting kelp sporophylls, the reproductive blades of the plant, and transporting them to the Southern California Marine Institute at the Port of L.A.'s Terminal Island. Spores are attached to 1- to 3-inch nontoxic ceramic tiles and grown in the laboratory for three to four months, until they are 2 to 3 inches tall. Then, the kelp is transported to the reef's ``nursery.'' The tiles and kelp are suspended about three feet off the ocean's floor until they are about four inches in height. The tiles are then lowered and attached to the ocean floor with rubber bands. Once the kelp is securely on the floor, the tiles and rubber bands are removed.

At Crystal Cove, Caruso said the only kelp beds growing are the ones planted on the one-acre site, named for famous kelp researcher Dr. Wheeler North. She said 87 percent of the kelp beds along the Orange County coast have disappeared.

``The ultimate goal is to have as near the same density as we used to have,'' Caruso said. ``We have the ability to make a real difference with this project, and I am very excited.''

Both biologists said there are numerous reasons for the lack of kelp along California's coast. The current main culprit is too many sea urchins, which eat kelp as their chief source of nourishment.

But it's not the urchin's fault. Kelp thrive in colder water, and the 1998 El Nino took a big bite out of the reef. So has coastal development, which has created runoff that undermines the kelp beds. So has overfishing. The Wrasse (or sheepshead) eat urchins and there are fewer sheepshead in the target areas. Companies also harvest kelp for use in cosmetics and as a food supplement, such as in ice cream and salad dressing.

``Kelp creates a more compound ecosystem,'' Caruso says. ``It's an ecosystem that is more bountiful. It's a place were fish can hide and live. You get a lot of kelp bass, sand bass and perch. It creates a lot of nutrients.''

CoastKeeper estimates 90,000 different type of juvenile fish can occupy a kelp bed at one time. In addition to juvenile mackerel and herring, the beds can contain turban snails, kelp crab, isopods, abalone, bat stars, opal eye and rockfish. A flourishing bed can act as a defense from rogue waves and storms, protecting the inner reefs.

Both biologists said they need a frequent stream of divers to keep the project continuing. Divers are used to help move and monitor the kelp. They also do fish counts and population density surveys. And as Caruso said, you can't beat the price: free air fills, no boat charges and a six-minute boat ride to the site.

``A huge part of the project, and the main focus, is the community,'' Reed said. ``It's exciting because we bring in volunteers and by doing so, bring science to the community and get the community involved. That doesn't happen very often.''

KELP HELP

Divers interested in volunteering can call Caruso at [phone] or Reed at [phone]. Not all volunteers are divers. Last year, Reed had 500 students in the Santa Monica Unified School District involved in the program by growing spores.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Divers set kelp tiles on the ocean floor at Crystal Cove, where tiles are attached with rubber bands.

(2) A three-week-old kelp is anchored to a tile at Wheeler's Reef in Crystal Cove Marine State Park, where planted beds are the only ones growing.

(3) The Orange County CoastKeeper's kelp nursery floats above the ocean floor in Wheeler's Cove.

(4) Orange County CoastKeeper biologist Nancy Caruso, right, explains her work in kelp restoration.

Orange County CoastKeeper

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KELP HELP (see text)