[PapaDave]

1. A couple of years ago, maybe more, there was a big die off of starfish. Those starfish ate the urchins the feed on the kelp, left unchecked they ravaged the forests.

2. We had a couple of years of very warm water, too warm for the kelp, so that also contributed to it's demise.

I've experienced the same in Dana Point, there used to be massive beds of kelp that you couldn't get through in a kayak even, it's barren now. Although I've seen some signs of a recovery, it'll take a long time to get back to where it was, if it can. To go along with that there's been a big drop in the fishing, one can barely catch a bass these days.