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Researchers for the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies is housing a campaign to assess the radioactive contamination within the California waters.
This Kelp Watch is the first campaign in 2014 to monitor the radioactive iodine levels in the local waters since 2011.
“The California kelp forest is a highly productive and complex ecosystem and a valuable state resource,” said Manley, an expert in marine algae and kelp. “It is imperative that we monitor this coastal forest for any radioactive contaminants that will be arriving this year in the ocean currents from the Fukushima disaster.
Each person taking place in this campaign will roughly collect about 6.5 kilograms (about 14 pounds) of giant kelp and bull kelp growing in the california sea waters, every time they go out.(3)
KELP: What do
they show?