I’m a high school student in San Diego that loves surfing, spearfishing and diving I’m starting the Blue Forest Project because I want to give back to the ocean as it makes me a better person every day, it’s a student-led initiative focused on restoring local giant kelp forests. Kelp forests along the California coast have been rapidly declining due to warming waters and sea urchin overpopulation, yet they are critical to marine life, clean water, and climate health. Right now, I’m working with local scientists and restoration groups to build a small kelp cultivation system where we can grow juvenile kelp in tanks and support real restoration efforts. The goal is to grow kelp, supply it to professional planting projects, and monitor kelp forests locally to help them recover. Funds raised will go directly toward building and maintaining our first kelp cultivation and monitoring system. This includes a kelp cultivation tank and sump system to safely grow juvenile giant kelp, a water chiller and filtration equipment to maintain the cold, clean conditions kelp needs to survive, saltwater, nutrients, and basic lab supplies for kelp growth, as well as monitoring equipment such as underwater cameras, temperature loggers, and basic field gear. We will also use funds for educational and outreach materials to involve other students and community volunteers. These tools will allow us to grow kelp in controlled conditions, support professional restoration efforts by supplying juvenile kelp, and monitor local kelp forests after planting to track recovery and threats like sea urchin overpopulation. As a student-led project, we are building this from scratch and relying on community support to make it possible. Every donation directly supports hands-on restoration, scientific monitoring, and student-led environmental action in our local coastal ecosystem. Please help us restore San Diego’s kelp forests.