CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH MARINE CONSERVATION
PROTECTING VICTORIA'S MARINE BIODIVERSITY
Project: SEA-GROW
COMMUNITY KELP RESTORATION
Project Sea-Grow supports the recovery of kelp habitats in Port Phillip Bay through hands-on restoration, community propagation trials and follow-up monitoring.
Aquaholics volunteers assist with kelp re-seeding activities, document restoration sites through repeat underwater photography, and record observations of kelp growth, habitat condition and returning marine life.
The project is also developing a small-scale kelp growing trial to test whether schools, clubs and community organisations can help cultivate kelp for future restoration work.
By combining practical restoration support, citizen-science monitoring and education, Project Sea-Grow aims to build a scalable community model for helping restore lost kelp forests and strengthen local understanding of their ecological value.
This project is currently unfunded, and we welcome recommendations or expressions of interest for funding to help keep it going & growing!
Partnerships for the project include:
The Nature Conservancy Australia, who provided the initial training & kelp seedlings for our first plant-out. Data gathered from continuing monitoring efforts is fed back to TNC to assist with their ongoing Kelp projects. Aquaholics supports TNC-led kelp restoration through volunteer assistance, site monitoring & community engagement.
Aquatic Adventures, who provide the Instructors who continue to train new members, plus dive professionals for safety management of these activities, as well as emergency response equipment.
Why it matters
Kelp forests are among the most important habitats in Victoria’s underwater environments, providing structure, shelter, food and nursery areas for a wide range of marine species. When kelp declines, the effects can flow through the broader ecosystem, reducing habitat complexity and weakening the resilience of reef communities.
Project Sea-Grow matters because habitat restoration needs both specialist expertise and reliable community support. Through partnership-based restoration work, Aquaholics helps connect trained volunteers with site-based activities such as monitoring, photography and kelp restoration support, helping local restoration efforts become more visible, practical and community-backed.
What volunteers do
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Assist plant-out/reseeding
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Photograph restoration sites
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Monitor Kelp growth
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Record returning marine life
Next Phase
The next phase of Project Sea-Grow is focused on building Aquaholics’ capacity to support kelp restoration more directly, while continuing to work alongside experienced restoration partners.
Aquaholics will begin exploring whether small-scale, in-house kelp propagation can become a practical and scalable model for community conservation. By trialling the process ourselves, we aim to better understand the equipment, water quality, timing, handling, husbandry and volunteer effort required to grow kelp successfully before it is used in restoration settings.
If this model proves viable, it could create a pathway for other community groups, schools, aquarium shops and education partners to participate in kelp restoration support. The goal is not only to grow kelp, but to develop a practical model that helps more people understand the importance of underwater forests and take part in their recovery.
Aquaholics will also continue supporting site-based kelp restoration by helping seed additional kelp provided through The Nature Conservancy’s restoration partners. This work will help strengthen existing restoration sites, increase volunteer participation and contribute to broader efforts to rebuild resilient kelp habitat in Victoria’s marine environments.
As Project Sea-Grow develops, this next phase will also connect with a new Aquaholics initiative: Project Sea-Scape. Sea-Scape will look more broadly at how restored kelp habitat, reef structure, biodiversity monitoring and community stewardship can work together to improve underwater habitat value over time.
Together, these activities represent an important step forward for Aquaholics: from supporting restoration activities in the field to helping test, document and share community-based methods that may strengthen future kelp recovery efforts across Victoria.