Help Our Kelp Act of 2025

The Help Our Kelp Act would create a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant program to fund conservation, restoration, and management of kelp forest ecosystems across the United States. The bill would authorize $5 million in annual funding from fiscal year 2026 through 2030 for eligible projects addressing kelp forest decline.

Kelp forests have experienced significant decline in recent decades. Over the last 50 years, more than 95 percent of kelp forests from the South Coast of Oregon to the North Coast of California have been damaged due to rising ocean temperatures, sea star wasting disease, and overfishing. The bill would support projects including research, monitoring, targeted removal of sea urchins that consume kelp, recovery of predator species, and integration of Indigenous knowledge into restoration efforts.

If enacted, the legislation would provide federal funding to states, local governments, tribes, universities, and nonprofit organizations working to restore kelp forests. These ecosystems support hundreds of marine species, protect coastlines from erosion, support commercial fisheries, and provide economic benefits to coastal communities. The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full Senate.