KEEN researchers are engaged in a variety of collaborations. As more projects begin, we’ll list them here.

• Our first project is sponsored by by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a group of our researchers are attempting to integrate past data and current theory to explore the global impacts of climate change on kelp forest ecosystems. This project is the first phase of data integration for the network, as we’re attempting to unify roughly 50 different data sets provided by our members. Projects of our working group include analysis of change in kelp cover over the last several decades, analyses of kelp forest alternate states, and a synthetic overview of global climate impacts on kelp forest ecosystems. [proposal pdf]

   

• We have launched a collaboration with Zooniverse called Floating Forests. We currently have hundreds of thousands of photographs of canopy forming kelp forests from the Landsat satellite. Zooniverse is a unique organization that helps to harness citizen interest in science projects that require visual examination of hundreds of thousands of images. We’re hoping to spur on public interest in climate change and kelp forests ecosystems by looking at 35 years of monthly photos of kelp forests from space. These are giant kelp forests from Baja, California, Canada, Alaska, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealands, and islands just north of Antarctica. There’s a huge amount of information here, and the opportunity to connect with people who love the ocean – surfers, divers, school kids, and more! Check it out at http://www.floatingforests.org/. Feel free to also check out our original [proposal pdf]