How Kelp Forest Restoration, Historic Ships, and Freediving Records Are Shaping Ocean Futures
- Plunge Waterwear
- Aug 31
- 4 min read
This week’s ocean stories carry a single theme: resilience. From California’s kelp revival to a historic ocean liner preparing for a new life as an artificial reef in Florida, and on to record-breaking freedivers proving the human body’s incredible adaptability, the ocean and its stewards are writing new chapters in conservation and discovery. And, in true “What the Fish?” fashion, we’ll end with the return of one of Europe’s most unusual sharks.
California’s Kelp Forest Restoration: From Urchin Deserts to Forest Canopies
In the last decade, Southern California’s coastline was transformed into a “barren seascape.” Kelp forests—once covering hundreds of square miles—were decimated by warming waters, pollution, and an unchecked population of purple sea urchins. At one point, over 80% of historic kelp coverage was lost, creating so-called “urchin barrens,” rocky seafloors carpeted with spiny grazers but devoid of the canopy that so many species depend on.
But hope has returned. The Bay Foundation and volunteer divers launched an unprecedented restoration campaign. Armed with hammers, crowbars, and sheer determination, divers logged 15,000 hours underwater, removing more than 5.8 million purple urchins across 80+ acres of reef. The impact was almost immediate. Within months, bull kelp spores began anchoring to bare rock, shooting upward into green-brown towers that provided shade, food, and structure for more than 800 species—from Garibaldi damselfish to sea otters.
Kelp forests are more than scenic dive sites. They are climate allies, sequestering carbon up to 20 times faster than terrestrial trees. They act as nurseries for commercially important fish, buffer coastal erosion, and regulate nutrient cycles. Scientists now describe California’s restored patches as “living laboratories,” offering evidence that targeted intervention can reverse damage and inspire global strategies for kelp forest restoration.
Destin’s Underwater Monument: The SS United States Becomes a Reef
On the opposite coast, in Florida’s Emerald Waters, a different kind of rebirth is underway. Destin–Fort Walton Beach already hosts one of the country’s most extensive artificial reef programs, with over 580 sites carefully deployed offshore. Now, it’s preparing to sink one of the most iconic ocean liners ever built: the SS United States.
Dubbed “America’s Flagship,” the SS United States was once the fastest passenger liner to cross the Atlantic. After decades docked in Philadelphia, stripped of her former glory, the ship faced demolition—until conservationists, engineers, and local leaders proposed a radical plan: give her a new life as the world’s largest artificial reef.
Transforming a historic vessel into a reef is no simple task. Every ounce of hazardous material—from asbestos to fuel residues—has to be meticulously removed. Structural adjustments ensure the ship will settle safely, with chambers and passageways engineered to create habitats for grouper, snapper, barracuda, and countless invertebrates. Once submerged, biofilm forms on the steel surfaces, corals begin to settle, and within years the ship will teem with marine life, blending history and ecology.
For Destin, this is more than a tourism draw. It’s a cultural landmark, a dive training site, and a long-term investment in reef resilience. Artificial reefs here already support local fisheries, recreational divers, and coastal economies. Adding a vessel of this scale cements Destin’s place as a leader in artificial reef conservation.
Freediving Frontiers: Archana Thiagarajan’s Record-Breaking Moment
While reefs are rebuilt, humans continue to test their own limits beneath the sea. At the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Wakayama, Japan, Archana Thiagarajan made history as the first Indian woman to compete on the global stage. She didn’t just participate—she shattered four national records in one meet.
Her achievements included:
Dynamic with Bi-fins (DYNB): 137 m
Dynamic with Monofin (DYN): 125 m
Dynamic No Fins (DNF): 94 m
Static Apnea (STA): 4 minutes 22 seconds
For context, each discipline pushes the human body to extremes: distance swum on a single breath, underwater efficiency without fins, and sheer breath-hold endurance. Archana’s performance places her among the sport’s elite while also inspiring a new generation of Indian athletes to explore the sport.
Freediving is more than competition. At its heart, it’s a practice of mindfulness and connection. Freedivers often become conservation advocates, using their skills to survey reefs, document marine life, or inspire awareness of ocean fragility. Archana’s rise is symbolic of freediving’s global expansion, linking sport to stewardship.
What the Fish? Spotlight: The Angel Shark’s Rare Return
This week’s quirky yet inspiring creature is no newcomer—it’s a survivor. The angel shark (Squatina squatina) was once common across European waters, its flat, ray-like body camouflaged on sandy seabeds. But bottom trawling, habitat loss, and bycatch pushed the species to the brink. Today, it is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
That’s why a sighting off the coast of Wales in July made headlines. Marine cameras recorded an angel shark for the first time since 2021.
Conservationists were elated—not only because the species persists, but because such footage helps build the case for stronger protections in UK waters.
Angel sharks are ambush predators, lying motionless until prey ventures close. Despite their intimidating look, they are harmless to humans. Their reappearance underscores the need for strict trawling bans within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and more focused monitoring of seabed ecosystems. Each sighting fuels public engagement and strengthens momentum for Europe’s shark conservation programs.
Final Thoughts: Renewing the Waves Together
From kelp forests rising from collapse, to a historic ship reborn as an artificial reef, to freedivers breaking national barriers, and an endangered shark resurfacing—the ocean is constantly showing us resilience, provided we meet it with care and respect.
This is where you come in. Every diver, every citizen scientist, every ocean lover has a role. And when you step into the water—whether helping restore kelp, descending into a reef system, or training for your own freedive—your gear should empower, not distract.
Plunge Waterwear’s UPF 50+ dive suits are crafted to move with you, shield you from sun and stings, and let you focus on what really matters: experiencing and protecting the ocean.
Explore the full collection at www.plungegear.com/shop—and join the wave of saltwater souls + fearless hearts writing the ocean’s next chapter.
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