Amended
IN
Senate
June 13, 2022 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 25, 2021 |
Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi |
February 19, 2021 |
Existing law establishes in state government the Ocean Protection Council. Existing law requires the council to, among other things, establish policies to coordinate the collection, evaluation, and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources among agencies. Existing law requires the council to develop and implement a voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program for the state.
This bill would require the council to work with private and nonprofit entities to bring sustainable kelp to the coastal waters of the state, as provided. The bill would require the council to review and assess data from existing research and ongoing pilot
projects to identify critical knowledge gaps related to, among other things, kelp forest ecosystems.
The council shall work with private and nonprofit entities, including the University of California at Davis and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, to bring sustainable kelp to the coastal waters of the state. The council shall review and assess data from existing research and ongoing pilot projects to identify critical knowledge gaps related to kelp forest ecosystems, kelp and sea urchin biological processes, kelp forest stressors, kelp-urchin population dynamics, incorporating carbon dioxide removal, and long-term carbon sequestration considerations.