Join us for the Future of Oceans Lecture
“Marine Heat Waves and the Ecology of Southern California Kelp Forests”
Presented by
Ed Parnell

Marine heat waves associated with El Niños, as well as the shoreward encroachment of northeast Pacific warm water masses, adversely affect the growth, reproduction and survival of giant kelp throughout its range, resulting in a cascade of effects throughout these iconic forests. Parnell will highlight why heat waves are deleterious to kelp forests and how the structure of kelp forests is changing off southern California.

About the Speaker:

Ed Parnell is a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography whose research focuses on kelp forests and the effects of warming and El Niño events on Southern California’s coastal ecosystems. A San Diego native, Parnell began studying kelp ecology as an undergraduate and research associate at UC San Diego, where he investigated the recovery of kelp forests following the devastating 1983 El Niño.

He earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees in biological oceanography from the University of Hawaiʻi, where his research examined human impacts on coastal ecosystems and larval ecology. After postdoctoral research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, he returned to Scripps, where he has led research on kelp ecology, Marine Protected Areas and the effects of ocean warming.

Parnell is also a member of the West Coast Ocean Alliance, which developed a kelp “report card” for California, Oregon and Washington, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for California’s Kelp Restoration and Management Plan.

Our lecture series, The Future of Oceans, draws on the commitment of professional researchers and educators across all academic spectrums to help define and inspire the health of our oceans.

To see upcoming lectures for 2026-2027 and catch up on any past lectures that you missed, visit our Lectures page.

Thanks to the Darrow Family for their ongoing support.

Nan Evans to interview Ed Parnell on KPTZ’s Nature Now

In advance of the October 4 lecture, Nature Now host Nan Evans will air her conversation with marine ecologist Ed Parnell about his work with Southern California kelp forests. The first airing will be Wednesday, September 23, at 12:30 p.m. on KPTZ 91.9, with repeat shows on Thursday, September 24, at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 26, at 12:30 p.m. The interview will also be available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcasting apps by the end of that week.

Kelp image courtesy NOAA