Meet KARA, Kelp Ark’s AI-powered research assistant and living library for kelp conservation.
KARA hosts a growing body of knowledge pulled from open-source publications, rare archival materials, and Kelp Ark’s own catalogue of kelp strains, microbes, and associated ecological data called The Arkive. Whether you’re searching for detailed accounts of historical Southern California restoration projects or looking to understand the microbiome of a kelp, KARA can guide you there and show you the source material. If you prefer to explore on your own, KARA’s resource library is fully browsable. Users have direct access to primary materials.
However, KARA didn’t appear overnight.
The idea came when Kelp Ark’s Co-founder, Dr. Nuzhdin, uncovered something extraordinary. 12 restoration and research reports from the 1960s and 70s collecting dust on his office shelf. These guides document pioneering kelp restoration work, and yet they were formally published. Only 40 physical copies of each were distributed. Nuzhdin had luckily inherited a set of the originals from KA director and seaweed scientist Dr. Charles Yarish.
Upon opening one up out of curiosity, Dr. Nuzhdin immediately recognized the value of this knowledge. He knew it couldn’t continue collecting dust. It needed to be made accessible to the broader conservation community.
Enter Dylan Hadfield and Alex Del Rio, passionate Kelp Ark interns.
Dylan, a biomolecular and chemical engineering student at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, took on the technical challenge. He designed and coded a searchable database capable of housing a research library alongside Kelp Ark’s expanding biological collections of kelp seeds, microbial samples, and associated metadata. That system would become KARA.
Meanwhile, Alex, a computer science major at California State University, Long Beach, stepped into the role of digital archivist. He meticulously catalogued and digitized the 12 journals, transforming fragile physical copies into structured, searchable resources. At the same time, he collaborated with Dylan to refine the database architecture and user experience.
Twelve journals, countless hours, and one shared mission. From those early efforts, the foundation of KARA was built.
Today, all 12 Kelp Habitat Improvement Project Annual Reports along with Kelp Ark’s collections and supporting research are searchable, queriable, and preserved for future generations. What was once limited to a handful of printed copies is now accessible to scientists, policymakers, aquaculture innovators, and restoration practitioners around the world.
KARA was designed with each stakeholder in mind. Showing the history of California’s kelp forests, their challenges, experiments, and breakthroughs, KARA helps inform the future of conservation, aquaculture, and ecological innovation.
Kelp conservation isn’t just about saving ecosystems, it’s about sharing knowledge that can guide decision making. Special thanks to Dylan Hadfield and Alex Del Rio. You can learn more about Alex’s intern experience here.
