Blue growth opportunities in changing kelp forests.

BLUECONNECT created strategic research partnerships and valuable training opportunities between South Africa and Norway centered around knowledge-based management of kelp forest resources under changing ocean conditions. The project quantified ecosystem services provided by kelp forests in South Africa, Norway and globally, and helped build capacity for coastal research and sustainable development and management of these resources through high-level post graduate training, collaborative research, and scientific knowledge transfer. BlueConnect began in 2019, holding a public event in Cape Town where the four lead investigators gave public presentations on the project, and hosted discussions on the value of kelp forests ecosystems in South Africa and Norway, as well as ongoing changes in the global status of these ecosystems. Over the last three years the BlueConnect team has engaged with key stakeholders, including abalone managers, researchers at DAFF and UWC, and science community in general. We held a graduate course for Norwegian and South African students (November 2020) on tools and techniques to conduct research on kelp forests expansion in parts of Norway and South Africa, building knowledge of these ecosystems and research capacity in both countries. BlueConnect also is quantifying the value of kelp forests globally, which provide many important benefits and services for coastal communities; fisheries provisioning, biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality, etc. In 2021, we officially launched the GEAK network - Global Ecosystem Services Assessment for Kelp forests - which brought together 51 kelp experts from 19 countries to conduct the first global synthesis of kelp forest value. Finally, we completed field research in Sommarøy, Norway, and in Cape Town, South Africa, to better understand the function and cultural value of these ecosystems.

BLUECONNECT established a collaborative knowledge platform and helped improve scientific guidelines for sustainable use of kelp forest resources in Norway and South Africa, under changing ocean conditions. The project generated 3 scientific articles on the importance of kelp forests to coastal communities, 4 reports on the sustainable management of these ecosystems and 3 articles on possible changes in their abundance under future climate change. One is a UNEP report and an official document of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. These outputs increased knowledge on best management practices, sustainable resource use and future trends in kelp forests, which could help the growth of the industry and can be used to develop adaptive management strategies for these ecosystems. The project helped create a more balanced and competent workforce on coastal ecosystem research through the creation of a global network of kelp researchers (GEAK), numerous opportunities for training students and early career researchers and facilitating knowledge transfer and dialogue between policy makers, users, managers and researchers. BLUECONNECT also broadly disseminated these results through scientific presentations, articles, and media such as film. The overall impact of the project is to increase international recognition of these ecosystems and provide relevant knowledge around management practices and the contributions to peoples provided by kelp forests, as well as build capacity and linkages between South Africa and Norway.

BLUECONNECT will, for the first time, create strategic research partnerships and valuable training opportunities between South Africa and Norway that focus on coastal ecosystem health and sustainable development of marine resources. The project will focus on kelp forests, which are dominant coastal ecosystems in both countries; they provide a harvestable resource and habitats for fish and other marine organisms, and offer a suite of valuable ecosystem services for coastal communities. Kelp forests are expanding in parts of Norway and South Africa with changing environmental conditions, despite a global declining trend. However, the extent and impact of these changes are unclear. Increasing our understanding of how coastal communities can adapt to these changing ecosystems and the opportunities they provide is a key priority of BLUECONNECT. The project will explore climate-driven expansion of kelp forests and changes to ecosystem services in both South Africa and Norway. Through post graduate training, research opportunities and multidisciplinary workshops, the project will develop the capacity for high level kelp forest research and management in both counties. Additionally, BLUECONNECT will facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge relating to sustainable development, management, and use of kelp forests in both countries. This will kindle cooperation between South Africa and Norway on ocean research related to climate change, natural resources, and the environment. This, in turn, will create opportunities and inform decision making and management in support of the blue economy in changing oceans.