Kelp gametophytes in warming oceans: Implications for restoration

Anthropogenic climate change is impacting ecosystems globally and combining genetic with ecological understanding is necessary to predict species future persistence and inform restoration interventions. This thesis uses culture experiments to understand the effect of two important threats to kelp forests: loss of genetic diversity and marine heatwaves, and explores the use of an emerging technology, “green gravel”, as a restoration tool in Australia. As warming and climatic extremes are projected to continue to have major effects on kelp forests, results presented here can be used to assist in the development of appropriate management plans to protect and/or recover kelp forests.