An international team is calling for a US $14 billion investment to protect and restore one of the planet’s most valuable and overlooked marine ecosystems, kelp forests.

Published by UNSW researchers and the Kelp Forest Alliance, the research establishes a clear financial benchmark for global kelp conservation.

The funding is needed to achieve the Kelp Forest Challenge, a global mission to protect three million hectares and restore one million hectares of kelp forests by 2040.

Kelp forests fringe nearly a third of the world’s coastlines, sheltering fisheries, absorbing carbon, and supporting biodiversity worth an estimated US $500 billion per year.

Yet as much 60% of global kelp forests have declined over the past half-century due to ocean warming, pollution, and overgrazing by sea urchins.

The $14 billion target was developed through expert consultation workshops, a review of the costs of marine conservation, and benchmarks kelp forests alongside initiatives in global mangrove and coral reef conservation.

The target represents a middle-ground scenario — “ambitious but achievable” — and helps align kelp conservation with the UN Climate Champion’s “Ocean Breakthrough’s Initiative.

Lead author Dr Aaron Eger says establishing a tangible funding goal is essential for mobilising action and tracking progress.

“Kelp forests are truly the fabric of our cold-water seas, but they’ve long been invisible in national and global conservation finance.

“It varies year to year but for every dollar invested in kelp conservation in Australia, our country invests 10-100 dollars for coral reefs. This mismatch is despite the fact that 2/3rds of Australians live right next door to a kelp forest.

“Setting a clear target sets the agenda and really stresses the fact that we cannot do this alone. We need everyone in society to pitch in and meet this goal.”

If realised, the investment would secure kelp forests for future generations—protecting biodiversity, stabilising coastlines, and sustaining livelihoods from Tasmania to Norway to California.