Northern California’s coastline is facing a largely unseen ecological crisis beneath the ocean’s surface. In just over a decade, the region has lost an estimated 95% of its bull kelp forests, a collapse stretching from San Francisco north into Oregon.
Scientists link the decline to a marine heat wave and the loss of the sunflower sea star, a key predator. Without it, purple sea urchin populations surged, stripping kelp forests along the coast.
The documentary "Sequoias of the Sea" examines the crisis, drawing comparisons between underwater kelp forests and the redwood forests that line the Northern California and Southern Oregon coast.
Co-director Natasha Benjamin, a marine scientist and diver, said she witnessed the collapse firsthand.
"I watched these kelp forests disappear before my very own eyes in a very short period of time," she said. "From the surface, the ocean looks just fine, but there’s this underwater kelp forest, similar to our land-based forests, that is in trouble."
The film also highlights restoration efforts tied to the region’s “blue economy,” where former commercial fishermen now work as divers removing invasive sea urchins. Indigenous leadership plays a central role, with tribes contributing traditional ecological knowledge developed over generations of stewardship.
Benjamin said she hopes the film will help build broader awareness of kelp ecosystems.
“We are talking about kelp being the new coral,” she said.
Events
- A free screening will take place Thursday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. the Arcata Theatre Lounge in Arcata, California. The event includes a live Q&A featuring Benjamin and is sponsored Surfrider Humboldt.
- A second free screening is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. at the Yurok Tribal Headquarters in Klamath, California. A Q&A with Benjamin will follow.
Guest
- Natasha Benjamin, co-director, co-producer and cinematographer, "Sequoias of the Sea"
