Our Mission
KelpArk’s mission is to safeguard the future of our oceans. We collect, conserve, and share the living code of marine algae and its microbial allies to protect the biodiversity that sustains sea life. Through collaboration, education and research, we empower restoration and mariculture efforts that preserve ecosystems, ensuring a resilient and thriving ocean for generations to come.
Seed the Sea
Seed banks are the foundation of food security, medicine, conservation, and resilience, preserving the genetic diversity that fuels adaptation, innovation, and discovery.Yet while kelp forests are disappearing, efforts to safeguard their genetic wealth have been limited. There are no large-scale seed banks or coordinated backups. While important collections, do exist, broader systems for long-term conservation remain scarce. It’s crucial we build on these foundations rather than let this biodiversity vanish.
It Starts Small
KelpArk was founded with a vision to conserve kelps and select strains resilient to changing ocean conditions. From this vision grew the biobank, now the largest collection of eastern Pacific kelps with over 2,600 diverse kelps carefully cultured in collaboration with USC and UWM. Expanding our reach, KelpArk is biobanking microbes and fungi alongside macroalgae.
The Ocean’s Vault
The Arkive is KelpArk’s database, cataloging over 2600 strains of eastern Pacific kelps, fungi, and microbes. It serves to preserve and share the knowledge and genetic information needed to power restoration, research, and sustainable aquaculture, serving as the living vault for marine biodiversity.
Join us in securing the ocean’s future
The future of our oceans depends on what we preserve today. Whether you’re a researcher, a conservation partner, or a supporter, there’s a way to join us.