Eelgrass and Kelp Feature – Spring 2025 

Spring is nearing its end and just like on land, this time of year is peak growth season for marine plants. With support from the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund, Project Watershed has been working on two projects to restore eelgrass habitat in Fanny Bay and kelp habitat near Cape Lazo.  

Eelgrass Habitat in Fanny Bay

Following mapping and planning work in 2024, our team planted two 360 m2 eelgrass beds in Fanny Bay this spring with support from 60 volunteers. To prep for the planting, volunteers attached twist ties to over 7,400 iron washers in April.  In May, another set of volunteers tied eelgrass shoots to those washers, which were then transplanted into new homes by professional scuba divers.

The shoots are now hard at work growing new roots and rhizomes to anchor themselves into the sediment before next winter’s storms. This new eelgrass habitat will provide refuge, nursery, and feeding areas for forage fish, crabs, and other marine species. It will also absorb atmospheric carbon and help buffer wave action. 

Volunteers preparing eelgrass shoots ~ C. Doucet

Kelp Habitat at Cape Lazo

In partnership with the Kelp Rescue Initiative, we’ve been working to restore bull kelp habitat near Cape Lazo this spring. Bull kelp coverage has greatly declined over time due to stressors such as urchin predation and rising ocean temperatures.  

To bring back some of that habitat, divers have seeded four 50m² beds with ceramic tiles inoculated with kelp gametophytes, resulting in a total seeded area of 200m². The kelp stock used was selected for its genetic resilience to warmer waters.  

This time of year, bull kelp can grow up to 25 cm per day!  

The projects at Fanny Bay and Cape Lazo are part of a multi-year initiative to increase connected eelgrass and kelp habitat along the East Coast of Vancouver Island to support salmonids; in recent years, we’ve also planted eelgrass beds around the Oyster River Estuary and Trent River Estuary and kelp beds at the Oyster River Estuary and Maude Reef.  

What’s next?

Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be monitoring these restoration sites and collecting data to help inform future restoration plans. 

We’re currently in the planning and mapping phase for our next eelgrass and kelp habitat projects – the next plantings will take place in early spring 2026.