The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp

Above/below

Above/Below, a partnership between world-renowned kelp expert, author and artist Josie Iselin and communications strategist Marianna Leuschel, was created to increase visibility, awareness, and partnerships to support the health of bull kelp forests along the North Pacific Coast. Long-time collaborators with Covive, the project team designed a webstory packed with fascinating facts, immersive imagery, and wide-reaching resources. Formatted for display on mobile devices, tablets, and large touchscreen exhibits, the digital experience can be shared anytime anywhere.

Content development, writing, and kelp images by Josie Iselin. Project curation by Marianna Leuschel, New Agency. Webstory design concepts by Alexandra Hammond. Content layouts and diagrams by Civiane Chung. Landing page and character illustrations by Ellen Litwiller. Webstory and touchscreen development by Chad Upham, Covive.

Information Design, Interactive Digital Media, Web Design and Development

Screen shot of home page of bullkelp.info website with project logotype and illustration of sea otter floating in waves above kelp forest.

A Webstory Worth Sharing

With a long, scrolling home page illustration diving from the ocean’s surface through vibrant kelp communities, to the rocky sea floor — and animated to capture the essence of being underwater — the webstory takes visitors on a journey into the mysterious world of bull kelp. Subsequent pages present stories of eight regions, from Southwest Alaska to Central California, as well as in-depth profiles of ten characters present in the kelp forest community including urchin, otter, sea stars, and humans. This artful presentation of information engages audiences of all ages, from students to academics, scientists, oceanographers, and conservation leaders.

bullkelp.info

The Kelp Forest Index

The Above/Below project team has envisioned a Kelp Forest Index which might, in the future, provide a region-by-region snapshot of the vitality and balance of interdependent species. Covive assisted in developing a simple interactive prototype demonstrating how factors such as average ocean temperature and the presence of predator species may impact the health of the kelp forest as a whole. Above/Below seeks funding and data collection partners to further develop this resource.