Answering the Call: How Canadians Can Turn Concern for the Ocean Into Real Action

November 17, 2025

This morning, The Weather Network highlighted one of the planet’s most extraordinary – yet often invisible – ecosystems: kelp forests. Described as “the forests beneath the waves,” these vast underwater canopies are biodiversity engines, carbon cyclers, oxygen factories, and coastal protectors. Their importance cannot be overstated. And as Ocean Wise rightfully points out, Canadians have a critical role to play in ensuring their survival.

At Cascadia Nature-based Solutions (CNbS), we could not agree more. But we also know that many people are left wondering what, exactly, they can do to help. For communities, coastal First Nations, and organizations ready to turn intention into impact, CNbS provides a clear and actionable pathway—one grounded in science, community leadership, and hope.

Cascadia Seaweed, founded in 2019 on Vancouver Island, is known for transforming one of the world’s most sustainable ocean crops into innovative agricultural products. But behind that work sits deep technical expertise in seaweed cultivation, ecology, and restoration. CNbS was established to bring this knowledge directly to the communities that need it most: those witnessing kelp forests disappear due to warming oceans, predation, or changing coastal conditions.

Last year, CNbS designed, manufactured,  and delivered a mobile Green Gravel Production System for sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) to the National Research Council of Canada. Through this collaboration, Cascadia also supported research design, cultivation training, troubleshooting, and outplanting efforts to test the viability of green gravel for restoration on the East Coast. This work directly contributes to the National Research Council’s applied research program in kelp restoration, helping scientists refine and scale one of the most promising restoration techniques available today.

Closer to home, CNbS recently worked with the Snuneymuxw First Nation to restore Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) in their Traditional Territory. Funded by the Nation and Foresight Canada, this community-led project used the Green Gravel method to grow early-stage kelp on natural rock substrates in Cascadia’s nursery. After careful, data-backed site selection, green gravel was outplanted at several locations. Monitoring in early 2025 confirmed the presence of healthy juveniles, a hopeful sign for future forest recovery and ecosystem renewal.

These are not abstract ideas. They are real projects, in real places, making real progress.

While communities and organizations play a vital role in kelp recovery, governments must also rise to meet this moment. Canada has already demonstrated leadership through initiatives such as the Oceans Protection Plan, which includes dedicated funding for “Protecting and Restoring Marine Ecosystems.” These investments are important foundations—but they represent only the beginning of what is needed. As kelp forests continue to decline and coastal ecosystems face mounting pressures, targeted federal and provincial support for nature-based solutions, like kelp restoration, will be essential. By expanding funding, strengthening partnerships with Indigenous Nations, and supporting marine innovation, governments can help scale projects that protect biodiversity, enhance coastal resilience, and secure a healthier ocean for future generations.

Ocean Wise is calling on Canadians to invest in the ocean with their time, money, and voices. Cascadia Nature-based Solutions proudly echoes that call—and takes it one step further.

If your community, Nation, or organization believes in restoring kelp forests for the benefit of biodiversity, coastal resilience, oxygen production, and carbon capture, Cascadia Nature-based Solutions can provide the technical expertise and hands-on support to make it happen, from growing kelp on green gravel to planting young forests underwater, to keeping watch as the new forest grows. 

Beyond restoration, CNbS also develops and deploys AI-powered biodiversity monitoring tools that validate restoration and other impacts, advances engineering innovation, and helps build equitable seaweed supply chains around the world. Restoring oceans requires more than passion, it requires partnership, technology, and long-term commitment.

To explore our work across Canada, visit the interactive project map at cascadiaseaweed.com/naturebasedsolutions.

Together, we can rebuild the forests beneath the waves and ensure they thrive for generations to come.

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Jennifer O’Neill,
Director of Cascadia Nature-based Solutions
cnbs@cascadiaseaweed.com