(Phys.org) —Researchers from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have launched "Kelp Watch 2014," a scientific campaign designed to determine the extent of radioactive contamination of the state's kelp forest from Japan's damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.
Initiated by CSULB Biology Professor Steven L. Manley and the Berkeley Lab's Head of Applied Nuclear Physics Kai Vetter, the project will rely on samples of Giant Kelp and Bull Kelp from along the California coast.
"The California kelp forest is a highly productive and complex ecosystem and a valuable state resource. It is imperative that we monitor this coastal forest for any radioactive contaminants that will be arriving this year in the ocean currents from Fukushima disaster," said Manley, an expert in marine algae and kelp.
"I receive calls and emails weekly from concerned visitors and Californians about the effect of the Fukushima disaster on our California marine life," he continued. "I tell them that the anticipated concentrations that will arrive are most likely very low but we have no data regarding its impact on our coastal ecosystem. Kelp Watch 2014 will provide an initial monitoring system at least in the short-term."
The project includes the participation of 19 academic and government institutions and three other organizations/businesses. These participants will sample kelp from the entire California coastline as far north as Del Norte County and as far south as Baja California. The sampling will begin in mid-February and will end in late winter.
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