Thanks again to everyone contributing to this survey. It is great to see photos of healthy, thriving kelp forests in spite of the warm waters and invasive species trying to make a dent it.

The news broke today that NOAA is giving the probability of a full-blown El Nino in the tropical Pacific at 85%. And the current increase in water temperature above the long-term average near the equator is approach that seen during the 1997-98 El Nino, which was huge. The good news there is that it could be some serious rain to California, but the bad news is that warm water is likely to hammer the kelp further.

I'm torn about which to root for.

Thanks again for the post of giant kelp occurrences. Recent news indicates that El Nino is developing in the tropical Pacific. While this may bring needed rain to California, it will also bring warm ocean temperatures. That means that warm water hanging around since last summer is likely to continue for some time. That can't be good for kelp, as if prefers cooler waters. Thankfully it is a resilient species, but let's keep our eyes open for it.

Thanks to everyone who has joined this project so far. Very much appreciated as we hope to watch the return of giant kelp with the coming of spring.

Since the warm waters of the summer of 2014, giant kelp abundance along the California Coast has declined. In an effort to document the return of giant kelp, we're looking for help in identifying where people are seeing it. If you have photos of kelp taken underwater, on the surface, or just washed up on the beach, we'd love to see them and find out where they were taken.