
Fishing Bans Shield Kelp Forests from Heatwaves, Stanford Studies Show
Key Impact Points: Protecting Predators, Protecting Kelp New Stanford University research reveals that fishing bans in marine protected areas help kelp forests recover from marine heatwaves by preserving predator-prey balances. When species like California sheephead and spiny lobsters thrive, they keep sea urchins in check—grazers that otherwise devour struggling kelp.