Global floating kelp forests have limited protection despite intensifying marine heatwave threats
Kelp forests are one of the earth's most productive ecosystems and are at great risk from climate change, yet little is known regarding their current conservation status and global future threats. Here, by combining a global remote sensing dataset of floating kelp forests with climate data and projections, we find that exposure to projected marine heatwaves will increase ~6 to ~16 times in the long term (2081-2100) compared to contemporary (2001-2020) exposure. While exposure will intensify across all regions, some southern hemisphere areas which have lower exposure to contemporary and projected marine heatwaves may provide climate refugia for floating kelp forests. Under these escalating threats, less than 3% of global floating kelp forests are currently within highly restrictive marine protected areas (MPAs), the most effective MPAs for protecting biodiversity. Our findings emphasize the urgent need to increase the global protection of floating kelp forests and set bolder climate adaptation goals.
Authors
- Cristian Lagger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3960-4437)
- Tom W. Bell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-2866)
- Juan Carlos Villaseñor‐Derbez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1245-589X)
- Carolina Pantano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4253-1187)
- Jennifer Sletten
- Alejandra Mora‐Soto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2254-5338)
- Loyiso Dunga
- Fiorenza Micheli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6865-1438)
- Kyle C. Cavanaugh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3313-0878)
- Nur Arafeh‐Dalmau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9053-0037)
- Henry F. Houskeeper (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5848-5440)
- Daniela Laínez del Pozo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2638-7357)
- Maycira Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1876-3351)
- David S. Schoeman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1258-0885)
- Kerry Sink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5051-573X)
- Timothé Vincent
- Claire Butler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4602-0395)
Institutions
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- University of Miami (US)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (AR)
- University of the Sunshine Coast (AU)
- University of Victoria (CA)
- Royal Anthropological Institute (GB)
- Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (US)
- South African National Biodiversity Institute (ZA)
- Fundación para la Investigación, Docencia y Prevención del Cáncer (AR)
- Ministry of Culture (PE)
- Pacific University (US)
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (CH)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
- Stanford University (US)
- Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-04-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58054-4
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 16.14
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Nuclear Safety and Security Commission