Turf in Bukta: the sinuous path to kelp restoration
- Delphin Ruché
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
In Northern Norway, kelp forest restoration is sometimes framed as a simple equation: fewer sea urchins means more kelp. However, observations from our restoration sites point to a more complex ecological dynamic, bringing us into relatively unexplored territory.
A lumpfish is observed for the first time at the Telegrafbukta restoration site, hiding in the filamatous algae, June 2026.
Sørsjetéen: urchin barren to kelp forest
At our first restoration site, located along a jetty in Tromsø city centre, the story was straightforward from the very beginning. After most of the sea urchins were removed during the winter, kelp naturally began to return. Once light became available again (Tromsø lies 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and experiences nearly two months without sunset) the underwater forest quickly started to recover.
Transformation of Sørsjetéen between October 2024 and March 2025.
There at Sørsjetéen, the transformation was spectacular. Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) rapidly formed thick underwater canopies, while winged kelp (Alaria esculenta) and oarweed (Laminaria digitata) filled the spaces in between. With fewer sea urchins grazing the seabed, other algae such as dulse (Palmaria palmata) also rebounded. Over time, the once barren jetty turned into a vibrant underwater jungle teeming with seaweeds, fish, corals, anemones, sponges and other forms of marine life.
Encouraged by these results, in 2025 we began removing sea urchins at two other sites: Telegrafbukta from June and Øksfjord from October. We approached these new restoration efforts with optimism and determination, but also with humility and no expectation.
Øksfjord: the seaweed explosion
In Øksfjord, along the jetty, sea urchins were keeping the rocks completely bare. In October 2025, with a group of volunteers, we drastically lowered the sea urchin density. When we returned six months later to continue the restoration effort, we were concerned that the urchins had already recolonized the area and recreated the barren landscape.
A Kelper in October 2025 is documenting the urchin density at the Øksfjord kelp restoration site.
What we found instead was astonishing: the site was unrecognizable. We will share the full story in a future article, but for now, let’s just say that the rocks where volunteers had removed the sea urchins were now covered by a thick layer of seaweed, mostly sealace (Chorda filum).
Young kelp was also growing among the sealace, and in one area, giant kelp (Laminaria hyperborea) was thriving again.
One of the volunteers is diving where the urchin barren was before the restoration started, May 2026.
Telegrafbukta
At Telegrafbukta, the Kelpers started lowering the sea urchin density in June 2025. In March, as the sun had returned in the Arctic, kelp and other seaweeds started growing back where urchins had been removed.
But in June, the site looked different. Filamentous algae (turf), sealace (Chorda filum) and sea sorel (Desmarestia viridis) had become dominant. These opportunistic species are boosted by warmer temperatures and eutrophication caused by fish farms and sewage (Tromsø has only mecanical treatment, everything is dumped into the sound).
However, even algae beds provide better habitats for fish than urchin barrens. We observed that they are used by fish as nurseries (see video below).
Is this a step towards kelp recovery, or a more permanent shift driven by climate change and pollution?
We shall see in the years to come! The Kelpers gather twice a month to restore kelp forests in Tromsø at Telegrafbukta and Sørsjetéen, and everyone is welcome to contribute, from land or in the sea.
Rissa Citizen Science efforts to restore kelp forests with volunteers is supported in part by the Ocean Green project, led by Ava Ocean, with science partners NIBIO (Norwegian institute for bioeconomy), NIVA (Norwegian institute for water research) and Akvaplan-niva. The industry partners are Across Nature and Hofseth Biocare. OceanGreen is funded by the Green Platform (Norwegian Research Council and Innovation Norway). 20 Knop helps with dissemination.
The Arctic University of Norway is our partner for the Telegrafbukta restoration site.
Finally, a special thanks to SUT, the student diving club in Tromsø, for their continued collaboration. Their support makes it possible for volunteers to participate in kelp forest restoration by providing affordable access to diving equipment.
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