California scientists grew kelp in a lab at 74,000 spores per millilitre; they are now planting the young forests back into the ocean

• Greater Farallones Association Kelp restoration specialist Julieta Gomez holding up kelp she is tending at the lab to grow spores for outplanting for kelp restoration.
• Image Credit: Jennifer Stock/NOAACalifornia scientists are growing young bull kelp in laboratory tanks before placing it back into coastal waters where underwater forests have largely disappeared.
• At Bodega Marine Laboratory, researchers have developed cultures containing as many as 74,000 kelp spores per millilitre, creating a steady supply for restoration work.