Abalone and kelp up close. Photo credit: Hakai Institute

Vision & Goals

Our Vision:

Vital, healthy kelp forests in the shared waters of British Columbia (CAN) and Washington State (USA), and their value broadly recognized.

Our Mission:

Advance transboundary kelp conservation, management and recovery in the shared waters of British Columbia (CAN) and Washington State (USA) by implementing and expanding collective actions through working groups and linked kelp science and stewardship activities.

Our Goals: 

Create an inclusive cross-border network of working groups that undertake work governed by a ‘Knowledge to Action’ Framework, inspired by the ‘Biodiversity Action Cycle’. Together, we are collaborating on the technical ‘underpinnings’ of kelp research and stewardship - including the development of standards, methodologies, and technologies. These enable kelp science data integration, analysis, and synthesis, as well as the implementation of participative science and training programs. These, in turn, will impact conservation and restoration via planning, management, and policy changes, with feedback through this cycle to direct future analyses, implementation efforts and collaborative actions.

Knowledge-to-Action Framework:

Vision & Goals
Knowledge to Action Framework.

Ode to Kelp:

We acknowledge the 22 species of kelp, including the local floating canopy formers Macrocystis pyrifera and Nereocystis luetkeana, which have supported, sustained and inspired human and other animal life since time immemorial in the shared waters of British Columbia and Washington State. We thank you for providing a physical bridge between the above-surface and underwater world, giving us a sense of home and connection with the land and sea around us.

Vision & Goals
Giant kelp up close.