Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and Friends

Saturday, May 16
3 - 5 P.M.
‘Forest of the Sea’
A talk on kelp and the future of the Ocean by David Helvarg
Book Signing to follow

Join us in the CMA Auditorium to hear award-winning journalist, author, podcaster and Executive Director of Blue Frontier David Helvarg discuss his newest book, ‘Forest of the Sea – The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp'.

He’ll recount his memorable journey beneath the waves and through kelp’s natural and human history, and the 500 billion dollars of products and services it contributes to our global economy, from snacks to cosmetics to jet fuel. Mr. Helvarg will also discuss the human activities that threaten kelp's survival, making it one of the emerging but underreported ocean and food security issues of our time.

He will explain how the world is facing another forest crisis that’s gone largely unnoticed because, while they cover more space and generate more oxygen than the Amazon Rainforest, kelp forests are largely out of sight and out of mind below the cold waters of approximately one third of the world’s coastlines, some of which he got to dive in.

He’ll address the roles of sea otters, growing marine heatwaves and ‘Zombie urchins’, cutting-edge algae labs and indigenous leadership in the understanding, protection, restoration and edible harvesting of this amazing macroalgae. He’ll also talk about ‘Ocean Triage’ or why we need to protect what we can while we can.

After Mr. Helvarg's talk, stop by the Gift Shop for a book signing. The talk and book signing are free to attend and open to the public.

Questions? Email membership@cmaqua.org