Josie Iselin and Marianna Leuschel co-created an engaging website about kelp at bullkelp.info. The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp is the centerpiece of their Above/Below campaign.
Iselin from San Francisco, “I hope people take a deep dive into the world of the kelp forests of our oceans. They need our attention. Our mission is to celebrate the wonder of bull kelp and the biodiversity it supports; to inspire curiosity about the bull kelp forest through art, science, food and film; and to deepen our relationship with these extraordinary marine algae, inspiring new ways to care for, protect, and learn from these ocean forests.”
Leuschel works with creative teams to generate new ideas for communication outreach and engagement strategies and implementation of campaign initiatives for the Above/Below campaign. The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Their easy-to-understand campaign aims to tell the story of bull kelp across its entire bioregion — from Monterey to the coasts of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska — as they connect and amplify the collective voices and impact of the regionally-specific work underway on behalf of bull kelp forests coastwide.
To learn more, visit bullkelp.info. No doubt, you will be thoroughly educated, engaged, and entertained.
The webstory features outstanding photography and illustrations that integrate life-cycle diagrams, bathymetric charts, historical kelp maps, and character icons that helps share knowledge about the bull kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) forests of the North Pacific Coast.“We believe that by combining art and science through creative storytelling strategies, we can help educate a broad audience about the importance of kelp forests, inspire engagement in local community action, and foster a culture of ocean literacy and stewardship over the long term,” wrote Iselin. “Bull kelp creates habitat for countless other organisms, from tiny isopods and the larval stages of sea stars, urchins and other animals, to mature sea urchins, abalone, anemones, fish populations of all sorts, seals, juvenile salmon, sea otters, and almost 900 species of other seaweeds.”
Illustration above of The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp is by Ellen Litwiller.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“