Scientists are using Google AI to help restore giant kelp forests.

Underwater forests of giant kelp protect coastlines, provide habitat, and support marine ecosystems — but they’re disappearing worldwide due to ocean warming. As COP31 kicks off this week, we’re sharing results from our partnership with Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, which is using AI and genomics to help restore giant kelp.

The team recently published two high-quality reference genomes for Australian giant kelp, providing a foundation for conservation genetics work. Next researchers trained a version of Google's open-source AI tool DeepVariant to analyze giant kelp DNA. It sequenced 600 wild specimens collected from 40 sites along the Tasmanian coast, where populations have dwindled to 5% of historic numbers.

This video explains how the genetic analysis and partners’ lab-based cross-breeding studies are laying the groundwork for a real-world outcome: giant kelp forests replanted with diverse, heat-tolerant specimens. This effort is part of Google Australia's Digital Futures Initiative.