Ocean Hoptimism

Most people have heard of the Amazon rainforest.

Far fewer know there’s another global forest—one hidden beneath the ocean’s surface.

Kelp forests stretch across coastlines around the world, supporting thousands of species, protecting shorelines from storms, storing carbon, sustaining fisheries, and feeding coastal communities. Together, they cover an area larger than the Amazon.

And in many places, they’re disappearing. Yet unlike so many environmental stories, this one isn’t just about decline. It’s about the people determined to write a different ending.

For July's Ocean Hoptimism, we explored one of the ocean’s most important—and least understood—ecosystems through the eyes of two people helping tell its story.

Ocean Hoptimism was honored to welcome award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin and journalist, prolific author, and Blue Frontier Executive Director David Helvarg for an evening devoted to the world’s underwater forests.

Natasha shared the five-year journey behind Sequoias of the Sea, documenting a pivotal chapter in the story of Northern California’s kelp forests and the communities working tirelessly to restore them. David broadened the lens, drawing on decades of ocean journalism and insights from his new book, Forest of the Sea, to connect kelp forests—and the people fighting for them—across the globe.

Together, they explored why these ecosystems matter not only for marine biodiversity, but also for climate resilience, food security, coastal economies, and our relationship with the ocean itself.

The evening also featured Dan Abbott, Kelp Forests Program Director for Reef Check Foundation California, who shared how volunteer divers are playing a vital role in monitoring the health and recovery of California’s reefs and kelp forests. His presence reminded us that meaningful conservation isn’t reserved for scientists alone—ordinary people can become part of the solution.

Throughout the evening, film clips, storytelling, science, and conversation revealed why one of Earth’s largest forests has remained largely invisible for so long—and why that is beginning to change.

But perhaps the most important takeaway was that hope isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we build together.

The evening concluded not just with inspiration, but with clear pathways to action. That’s the goal of Ocean Hoptimism: creating a big tent where evidence, storytelling, advocacy, art, policy, and community come together—not to sugarcoat the challenges facing our ocean, but to help people discover where they belong in its future.

We are deeply grateful to Natasha Benjamin, David Helvarg, Dan Abbott and the Reef Check Foundation California, and everyone who joined us for helping make this evening a celebration not just of kelp forests, but of the people committed to ensuring they have a future.

—Natasha Benjamin