The water is like a dark flat mirror, and I can almost feel the first rays of the sun waiting to dash over the horizon. For now, the bright light of day has yet to disturb the quiet of the pre-dawn. My kayak lies before me, straddling the ocean’s edge Read more…
Something exciting is happening in the world of bull kelp monitoring around the Southern Gulf Islands! Our long-term monitoring program, which previously focused on seven sites off the shores of Mayne Island, has exploded to include 19 sites around the islands of Galiano, Mayne, North Pender, South Pender, and Saturna. Read more…
Our annual bull kelp surveys were a huge success this year thanks to community donations, funding from the Federal Habitat Stewardship Program, and a little luck with the weather. Our bull kelp surveys can only be completed during the lowest tides each August, and this year we had perfect low Read more…
Bugles and Baselines – Nine Years of Bull Kelp Mapping around Mayne Island, B.C. Kelly Fretwell and Rob Underhill Have you ever made a bugle horn from a piece of washed-up bull kelp? If not, you’re missing out on a fine West Coast experience! Now is a good time to Read more…
Astronomical phenomena abound! As I write this, Mayne Island is enjoying a partial solar eclipse (around 90%), with a full eclipse occurring further south in the USA. I enjoyed a short peek, thanks to a stranger on the dock who offered me a view through her special eclipse sunglasses. Without Read more…
About Kelp Beds Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is an annual marine seaweed that is common throughout the Gulf Islands. Its range extends from Alaska to California, and it provides important habitat for many kinds of marine life. The plant consists of a long stipe (up to 36 m long), attached Read more…