Extreme weather events such as storms and cyclones are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing substantial damage to coastal marine ecosystems. Kelp forests are crucial ecosystems, because they provide food and habitat to thousands of marine animals, thereby underpinning coastal marine biodiversity and functioning. They are also particularly vulnerable to storm-driven dislodgement, resulting in large volumes of beach cast macroalgae and significant loss of habitat-forming biomass. Following the impacts of cyclone Alfred on the 5th of March 2025, in Gold Coast, southeast Queensland, Australia, numerous beach cast specimens of Golden Kelp (Ecklonia radiata) were observed with intact holdfasts but detached from their original substrate. Given the scale of the beach cast biomass, some of the detached individuals were collected and used in trials to test their suitability for potential restoration, using an evidence-based intervention.
Beach cast kelp specimens with intact holdfasts were collected and attached to natural rock substrates using cable ties, then maintained in controlled aquarium conditions for four weeks, supplemented with nutrients. Regrowth of holdfast tissue and subsequent reattachment to substrate was observed in all surviving specimens within three weeks, and by week four, newly formed attachment structures were sufficient to allow removal of the cable ties without loss of stability.
This practice demonstrates that recently detached E. radiata with intact holdfasts can successfully regenerate attachment structures when promptly secured to a suitable substrate and maintained under appropriate environmental conditions. The findings suggest that post-disturbance kelp rescue and reattachment may be a practical, low-cost intervention to mitigate cyclone-related kelp loss and support the restoration of temperate reef habitats. This approach has potential applications both in ex situ aquarium systems and in situ restoration following natural disasters.