I felt energized and blessed to spend a day on the waters of picturesque Goleta Bay Wednesday, March 27 to help deploy a new kelp restoration reef, which I expect will work wonders to restore a healthy kelp forest and provide much needed habitat for many forms of sea life such as fish and shellfish.

This is a goal I have supported and worked to make happen for many years.

The area was once home to a lush perennial kelp forest which provided habitat for sea critters and helped protect Goleta Bay from loss of beach sand by functioning as a buffer to diminish big winter swells which pulled sand off the beach.

Restoring kelp forests along our coast should be a high priority matter for all of us who care about the sea that borders our State. Toward that end, I serve on California’s Kelp Restoration and Management Plan Working Group.

Goleta Beach has suffered significant loss of sand in recent years from the scourge of big winter storm surf. Years ago, we had lots of kelp growth and the beach was wide with natural sand accumulation.

By armoring our coastline and putting up heavy chain link on hillsides to keep boulders from falling onto coastal roads on their way to the sea to become kelp holdfasts, we have stopped natural processes that lead to thick kelp forests.

Recognizing the developing problems caused by lack of kelp and a changing ocean, a local man, Chris Goldblatt, who grew up on the coast, working at sea and is an avid diver, dedicated himself to developing and deploying functioning solutions. He founded Fish Reef Project (www.fishreef.org), and went to work helping oceanic flora and fauna thrive.

Over the past dozen years, Goldblatt engineered and patented an ideal Sea Cave device with just the right size, weight, design characteristics and chemical compounds to function as an effective kelp holdfast.

The device also provides fish and shellfish with protection from predation by other critters, and I envision Goleta Bay’s new reef becoming important in bringing back species like abalone.

Thanks to Goldblatt’s hard work and dedication, reefs have been placed off Baja California, South Carolina, Papua New Guinea, and now Goleta Bay. More potential reef sites are being planned and prepared for.

Goldblatt intends to get permits to expand the Goleta Bay reef to restore and support the scope of historic kelp forests there. He’s a man with vision.

After the Goleta Bay kelp restoration reef was deployed, Goldblatt said, “Fish Reef Project is pleased to announce the successful deployment of California’s first fully permitted biogenic Sea Cave Reef. Located just off of UCSB in Goleta Bay, the Sea Cave Reef is an ideal start to rebuild our lost kelp forest and enhance our fisheries.

“A special thanks to everyone who supported this effort including Santa Barbara County, Harbor, Capt. Bacon, Milpas Rentals, Teecino, UCSB, Santa Barbara Foundation, the Castagnola family, and our dedicated Fish Reef team. Thank you all for helping ocean life thrive.”

Support vessel help was provided by Hank Goebel of Goleta with your faithful reporter riding with him. Goebel is the vice president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association of California.