# Event Details - **Event Name**: Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 23 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Thu, 23 Apr, 2026 at 08:00 pm (-07:00) - **Event Description**: Kelp forests collapsed. Urchins took over. Now divers fight back. A story of tipping points—and the will to restore what we’ve lost.About this EventOCEAN HOPTIMISM presents:Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restorew/ special guestKeith Rootsaert, FounderGiant Giant Kelp Resoration ProjectFREE and Open to All!Not long ago, California’s nearshore waters were dense with towering kelp forests—alive with rockfish, abalone, sea otters, and the steady hum of a functioning ecosystem. For many, that ocean felt normal. Stable. Abundant.And then, quietly and quickly, it wasn’t.On April 23, we’re welcoming Keith Rootsaert—diver, community scientist, and restoration leader—who has witnessed that shift firsthand. After first diving in the 1980s, Keith returned decades later to find an ocean transformed: kelp forests thinned, fish smaller and fewer, and vast stretches of reef overtaken by urchins.Instead of turning away, he leaned in. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/4e5ede40-3179-11f1-9eb7-3140a20b4450-rimg-w1109-h740-dc061314-gmir.jpg Keith began working with Reef Check California, helping count fish, invertebrates, and algae—and training volunteer divers to do the same. When the system tipped in 2017 and urchin barrens became the new normal, he launched the Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project, mobilizing a growing network of trained divers to actively restore kelp ecosystems along the coast.At April’s Ocean Hoptimism, Keith will take us beneath the surface of Tanker’s Reef in Monterey—into the realities of kelp restoration, the challenges of working within marine protected areas (MPAs), and the surprising friction between grassroots action and regulatory systems meant to protect these very places.Just two days before this event, a pivotal decision will be made. A petition to allow trained divers to restore kelp in five MPAs will be considered by the California Fish and Game Commission. The outcome—still unknown—will shape what comes next.This conversation will meet that moment in real time.With over 300 certified restoration divers ready to act, this is a story about more than kelp. It’s about who gets to participate in restoration. About when protection becomes paralysis. And about what it looks like when a community decides not just to witness change—but to intervene.This is a story about returning to a place you love and refusing to accept its decline. About rebuilding not just ecosystems, but agency. And about how restoration—messy, local, and hands-on—can become one of the most powerful forms of conservation we have.“We have the power to make the ocean better for fish and for ourselves."—Keith RootsaertJoin us Thursday, April 23, 7–8pm at Faction Brewing for an evening of ocean storytelling, community science, and frontline restoration—grounded in California, but echoing far beyond it.Bring friends. Bring questions. Bring your curiosity about what it means to not just care about the ocean—but to actively help heal it.The ocean we remember is still possible. The question is what we’re willing to do to bring it back. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/4e9816b0-3179-11f1-898c-b1ec16c3517f-rimg-w479-h740-dc77ae93-gmir.jpg About Ocean HoptimismOcean Hoptimism is a free, monthly Bay Area series that spotlights stories of ocean resilience, hope, and action — all served with a side of craft beer and community connection. Hosted in partnership with Faction Brewing in Alameda, Ocean Hoptimism brings together ocean champions, storytellers, and community builders who believe that optimism isn’t just a feeling — it’s a force for change and essential fuel for ocean conservation. Our vision is to build a movement rooted in possibility, resilience, and a shared commitment to a thriving ocean future. Join us every fourth Thursday of the month at Faction Brewingfor a new, inspirational Ocean Hoptimism speaker!www.oceanhoptimism.orgThursday, April 23, 20267:00 - 8:00 PM PDTFaction Brewing, Alameda, CA - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/alameda/kelp-urchins-and-the-right-to-restore/100001986448424712 - **Event Categories**: workshops, volunteering, storytelling - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Alameda - **state**: CA - **country**: United States - **location**: Faction Brewing - **lat**: 37.7867214 - **long**: -122.3097144 - **full address**: Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch Street, Alameda, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/d207af0f8c315f63d1de1a8cd20be0fba11e567fc51f08f48379497c97d2e95d-rimg-w1200-h805-dc132e31-gmir.jpg?v=1775453254 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore being held? - **A:** Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore takes place on Thu, 23 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Thu, 23 Apr, 2026 at 08:00 pm at Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch Street, Alameda, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore? - **A:** Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore is organized by Ocean Hoptimism. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Kelp, Urchins, & the Right to Restore", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/d207af0f8c315f63d1de1a8cd20be0fba11e567fc51f08f48379497c97d2e95d-rimg-w1200-h805-dc132e31-gmir.jpg?v=1775453254", "startDate": "2026-04-23T19:00:00-07:00", "endDate": "2026-04-23T20:00:00-07:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/alameda/kelp-urchins-and-the-right-to-restore/100001986448424712", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Faction Brewing", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "2501 Monarch Street", "postalCode": "94501", "addressLocality": "Alameda", "addressRegion": "CA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "37.7867214", "longitude": "-122.3097144" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Kelp forests collapsed. 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Open to all and free to attend, this San Francisco Bay Area event sparks inspiration by uniting people who care about our blue planet. Each month features a different ocean expert who shares their work and stories, adding fresh perspectives to the conversation. Great ideas flow when passionate minds connect, and what better way to foster meaningful conversations than over a pint? In a welcoming, relaxed setting, we spotlight new ideas and initiatives aimed at helping the ocean, engage in open dialogue, support a local brewery, and strengthen civic engagement in ocean issues—one sip at a time." } ] } ] ```