CIR’s Environmental Experts Webinar Presents:

The What, Why, and How of Kelp Forest Restoration

with Tristin Anoush McHug from The Nature Conservancy and Pike Spector from the Ocean Protection Council

Tuesday, May 13, 2025
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Join the Ocean Protection Council’s Pike Spector and The Nature Conservancy’s Tristin Anoush McHugh to learn about kelp forest status and recovery efforts in California! Often referred to as, “the Sequoias of the Seas”, kelp forests are some of the most productive and biodiverse marine ecosystems. Explore the wonders of kelp forests, the issues threatening these iconic ecosystems, and the tools and interventions being tested to restore, enhance, and protect kelps and the communities they support.

Tristin Anoush McHugh is a subtidal ecologist and kelp forest restoration practitioner based in Mendocino, California. Born and raised in California, her love for the ocean came from a young age where her curiosity drew her into the kelp forests of her underwater backyard.  Tristin joined The Nature Conservancy in 2021 as the Kelp Project Director, where she leads projects to develop innovative and scalable solutions in the protection and restoration of kelp forests locally and worldwide.  In her role, she leads a highly collaborative kelp recovery program in Mendocino, where in-water techniques developed are being scaled throughout the region and field. In her spare time, you will find Tristin with her family in the outdoors hiking, diving, at the beach or in her garden. 

Pike Spector is a marine ecologist and a self-professed kelp lover. An avid surfer and explorer, Pike has been tied to the ocean since he was a child. After cutting his teeth in college in the frigid waters of the Monterey Bay, Pike has explored kelp forest communities up and down the west coast from Baja California and across the Aleutian Archipelago. As the Ocean Protection Council’s Biodiversity Program Manager, he is helping lead the start’s efforts to protect, retore, and enhance vital nearshore marine ecosystems and the communities they support. Outside of work you can find Pike surfing, rock climbing, hiking with his dog, playing banjo, and riding his motorcycle.