Kelp forests highlighted on Marine Protection Areas Day

The Two Oceans Aquarium hosted Kelp Night at the I&J Ocean Exhibit in celebration of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day on August 1.

MPA Day was first commemorated as a local celebration of MPAs in 2021.

According to a statement by the Two Oceans Aquarium, South Africa currently boasts 42 MPAs to protect the country’s diverse marine environment and provide healthy spaces for ocean wildlife.

“We hope that MPA Day will help people worldwide recognise the important role of MPAs in preserving our oceans for both people and nature,” said Helen Lockhart, sustainability and conservation manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium.

At Kelp Night, a kelp forest-focused session, speakers Jannes Landschoff, Roushanna Gray and Leonie Joubert shared stories and perspectives on the value of the kelp forests of the MPAs.

Dr Landschoff, who is a marine biologist and works with the Sea Change project, spoke of his project, 1001 Seaforest Species, which sees him and fellow researchers dive into the Great African Seaforest to identify 1001 species that live there.

South Africa’s kelp forest stretches 13 000km from De Hoop on the East Coast past the beaches of Milnerton, Big Bay and up to Namibia.

The multi-year project aims to highlight species in the kelp forest and tell stories about what lives in the kelp.

Dr Landschoff said, to date, they have identified about 400 species, along with researchers at Stellenbosch University and founder of the Sea Change Project, Craig Foster, who is also an award-winning film director responsible for the documentary, My Octopus Teacher, which documents his unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest.

“This is a work in progress and it's very exciting. The question is: ‘how many are we going to find?’”

He said since he became part of this project, he has never looked at the kelp forests in the same way, and it has taught him that humans are an important part of creating a healthy sea environment for the creatures who live in it.

Roushanna Gray, of Cape Point, is an forager and educator, who became renowned for her unique sea foraging and cooking skills.

Through her organisation, Veld and Sea, she aims to use food as a tool for learning and nature as a classroom. “One of the beautiful things about nature is that you never stop learning.

She said on the coast of South Africa, there are 900 different species of seaweed. Out of them, only one is not edible - acid seaweed, said Ms Gray. “This is often overlooked as a source of nutrition.”

She said if people use the word sea veggies instead of seaweed, it can change mindsets.

She said kelp is the most sustainable sea vegetable to forage for and grows all year around. It can also be used in many different recipes, and is packed with vitamins and minerals.

She said with the rising trend of foraging, people need to be responsible when collecting seaweed. “Always use scissors to cut, never forage from MPAs, collect only what you need and use what you have.

“Also, never collect from a polluted ocean - it absorbs everything around them.”

Environmental writer Leonie Joubert of Rondebosch spoke of her experience with the kelp forest, and how people can help protect marine life.

“As romantic as kelp forests are, they are not accessible to everyone.”

She said tidal pools were important for MPAs, as they were more accessible than the kelp forests, and give people a safer opportunity for discovery. “These tidal pools are a safe space where people can go with minimal gear and minimal skill to get a glimpse of the magic. We really have to coddle these pools.”

The aquarium and its partners held several other events in celebration of MPA Day. These included:

• A tidal pool treasure hunt on Saturday August 5 at Dalebrook Tidal Pool, which is part of the Table Mountain National Park MPA, where families searched for colourful anemones, split-fan kelp, spiky urchins, tiny sea stars, the odd octopus, and other marine life.
• A four-part video series by Cape Nature called
• Youth4MPAs Film Screening, Discussion and Reflection on Saturday August 5, which showed a short-film screening of Empatheatre'

Founder of MPA Day and executive of strategic projects at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, Dr Judy Mann, said :“We’d like to thank everyone who organised, participated in, and celebrated MPA Day this year. From its inception to now, we have already seen a growth in awareness around MPAs and their role in, not only ocean health but the health of the entire planet.

“We are excited to keep this momentum going particularly as we work towards the 30x30 target - protecting 30% of the planet by 2030.”