There's a Forest Beneath the Ocean. And It Needs Our Help.
When most of us think about forests worth protecting, we picture towering trees and birds singing. We don't usually picture something swaying forty feet beneath the ocean's surface, in cold water, in the dark.
But kelp forests are forests - in every meaningful sense of the word. They're dense, complex, three-dimensional ecosystems full of life. They feed fish, shelter marine mammals, absorb carbon, filter water, and buffer coastlines from erosion.
And over the past 50 years, 40–60% of them have been lost.
This Plastic Free July, we're doing something about that. Every refilled product purchased through the end of the month plants one kelp through our partner veritree - helping restore one of Earth's most vital and most overlooked ecosystems, one jar at a time.
Here's what we know about kelp, why it matters, and why we think this is one of the most exciting things we've ever been a part of.
What Is Kelp, Exactly?
Kelp isn't a plant - it's a large brown seaweed (macroalgae classified under the kingdom Protista), and there are just over 100 species of it growing on rocky reefs throughout temperate, Arctic, and sub-Antarctic coastlines around the world. It can grow up to 1% of its total body length in a single day, forming underwater canopies that block over 90% of light to the seafloor below - creating shaded, complex habitats rich in biodiversity.
Think of a coral reef, but taller... and an area up to five times greater than all the world's coral reefs combined.
Kelp forests are home to an astonishing range of marine life: fish, crab, octopus, lobster, sea otters, harbor seals. They provide nursery habitat for juvenile species, foraging grounds for everything from small invertebrates to large predators, and food and medicine for Indigenous and coastal communities who have depended on them for generations.
They are, in the truest sense, foundational ecosystems - the kind where if you remove them, everything built on top of them starts to collapse.
Why Are Kelp Forests Disappearing?
Kelp are cool-water species. As the ocean warms - and it is warming, significantly - kelp forests at their warm range edges are under enormous stress. Marine heatwaves, which are increasing in both frequency and intensity, can wipe out large sections of kelp forest in a matter of weeks.
But climate change isn't the only pressure. According to a 2023 UNEP report, the most comprehensive review of kelp science to date, overfishing, excess nutrient runoff, pollution, and sedimentation are all contributing to kelp decline at a global rate of about 1.8% per year. In some regions, the losses are much steeper - and once a kelp forest collapses, it can be very difficult to reverse.
The good news is that kelp forests, where conditions are managed, can recover. And that's where seaforestation comes in.
What Is Seaforestation?
Seaforestation is an emerging conservation strategy focused on the restoration and cultivation of kelp and seagrass in marine environments. Think of it like reforestation, but underwater.
Our partner veritree is pioneering verified, data-backed kelp restoration efforts through their seaforestation program, with active projects along the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. Their approach focuses on restoring kelp forest in areas where it has declined, supporting marine biodiversity and water quality in the process - and tracking every plant with the same precision and transparency they bring to their land-based reforestation work.
It's one of the more hopeful things happening in ocean conservation right now.
What We're Doing About It This July
At Little Seed Farm, sustainability isn't a marketing angle - it's why we started our farm and business. Solar-powered production. Glass packaging. A return and reuse program built around the belief that the best package is the one that never becomes waste in the first place.
Our refilled products are part of that closed-loop system. When you purchase a refilled jar, you're buying a container that was sent back to us by a customer just like you - cleaned, sanitized, and refilled right here on the farm before heading back out into the world. No new glass made and no jar headed to a landfill.
This Plastic Free July, we've added something more: every refilled product purchased through the end of the month plants one kelp through veritree, directly supporting their active seaforestation project on the Pacific Northwest coast.
It's a small thing, individually. But small things - done consistently, by enough people - are how ecosystems recover.
How You Can Help Sea Forestation
Refilled jars are available in limited quantities and they always sell out. If you've been thinking about making the switch or stocking up, now is the time - and this month, your purchase does double duty.
We couldn't do this without you!
References
- United Nations Environment Programme. (2023). Into the blue: Securing a sustainable future for kelp forests. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme. ISBN 978-92-807-4007-3. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/blue-securing-sustainable-future-kelp-forests
- Steneck, R.S., et al. (2002). Kelp forest ecosystems: Biodiversity, stability, resilience and future. Environmental Conservation, 29(4), 436–459. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000322
- veritree. (2025). Kelp seaforestation: Pioneering ocean restoration. https://www.veritree.com/explore-projects/kelp-seaforestation
- Krumhansl, K.A., et al. (2016). Global patterns of kelp forest change over the past half-century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(48), 13785–13790. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1606102113
- Smale, D.A., et al. (2019). Marine heatwaves threaten global biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. Nature Climate Change, 9, 306–312. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0412-1