Items that we find on the beach may not look terribly important to the casual observer, but can have critical importance to creatures beneath the surface.

Case in point: kelp. It is a major food source for some sea creatures, and kelp forests on the West Coast have been decimated by a series of events. In California, there's less than 10% of the usual kelp.

As a result, the abalone fishery has been shut down on both sides of the state line.

Cynthia Catton is a scientist with California Fish and Wildlife. Scott Groth works for Oregon Fish and Wildlife. They join us with details of the kelp situation... and news of the creatures that depend upon kelp.