Underwater forests of endless possibilities
A chat with KELP! Documentary co-Director Caylon la Mantia
Article by: Camilla Capasso
Artwork by: Lorna Dolby-Stevens
“From the outside, kelp just seems like a boring, brown seaweed: people don’t like it when it brushes against their feet in the sea or it’s washed up on the beach.” Caylon smiles mischievously, clearly suggesting that there’s more to the story. “But the first time I saw a kelp forest underwater in Falmouth, I just couldn’t believe it: I had discovered a magical place.”
That memorable time in Falmouth was far from Caylon’s first time snorkelling. Raised in Brighton, her affinity for the water seems innate. Over the years she’s been snorkelling and diving across the world, including exploring coral reefs: “Nevertheless - she assures - kelp forests are something else.”
Caylon la Mantia’s debut documentary — KELP! — was released late last year receiving an abundance of positive reviews and even winning a few awards. The 30-minute film, co-directed alongside fellow filmmaker Anna Roberts, can be watched on Youtube and Vimeo. The film follows Caylon and her crew as they sail along the UK's rugged coastline. Through their journey, they talk to farmers in Cornwall, Wales and Rathlin Island who are spearheading kelp farming as a nature-based solution to climate change whilst supporting coastal communities.
What about kelp?
Kelp is a large, brown seaweed that grows along shallow rocky coasts. There are 112 species currently known and they come in many different shapes and sizes. They grow mostly across temperate and arctic regions worldwide and they harbour rich marine ecosystems, providing habitat and sustenance for a diverse array of marine life.
Similar to terrestrial trees, kelps play a crucial role in carbon sequestration by absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis and releasing oxygen. What makes kelp forests so special, however, is their remarkable ability to capture up to 20 times more carbon than tropical forests, making them a formidable ally in mitigating our carbon emissions.
After finding out about regenerative kelp farming in South Korea and a few similar projects in the United States (US), Caylon decided to learn more.
“I had no idea that anything was happening here in the UK, but then I learnt about Tim’s kelp farming project in Cornwall and that’s where it all started,” - she explains.
Beyond the more evident environmental benefits, kelp's potential extends to innovative applications. In the documentary, Caylon takes us to meet the minds behind Notpla, a London-based startup pioneering the production of biodegradable plastics, including packaging, from seaweed.
“Seeing Notpla’s seaweed plastic changed everything for me, something became possible rather than just a fantasy.” Caylon recalls.
“It's so un-synthetic that it's completely fine for your body to eat…it's pretty amazing.”
Another monoculture?
There is a lot more that kelp can be used for that didn’t make the cut - including being used as a natural fertiliser - but Caylon is also mindful of the risks of turning kelp farming into a monoculture dominated by corporate interests. She is adamant that as long as kelp farming remains in the hands of local coastal communities, it will benefit both people and the planet.
Following a screening in East Sussex, Caylon was approached by a local councillor interested in understanding how to use kelp to weave biodegradable ropes. The council were considering using biodegradable ropes seeded with kelp and attached to rocks on the ocean floor, to help regenerate fish stocks.
“The future of kelp farming that I’d like to see unfold involves more and more independent individuals,” says Caylon.
“I want to see coastal towns work with their fishing communities and use kelp to regenerate fishing stocks, which are dramatically declining.
“Kelp farming should benefit the little pockets all around the coastline, not big corporations that are ready to plant football fields worth of kelp with no consideration for the ecosystem.”
Keeping it positive
KELP! is hopeful and fun in a way that makes it possible to imagine a different future for the planet and for ourselves. The intention, Caylon recalls, was there from the very beginning. Led by co-director Anna Roberts, the crew set together and wrote down what they hoped people would feel when watching the film: hopeful, inspired, uplifted, joyful, motivated is what came out. Throughout the filming journey, these words served as a compass, ensuring they remained steadfast in their vision without veering off course.
“People need to feel uplifted and positive,” says Caylon, explaining why she thinks it’s important for people to know that nature-based solutions are at our fingertips.
“When we feel fear, anxiety, this doom fatigue that so many people are suffering from - it actually reduces our cognitive function and our ability to think logically, to use our imagination and be creative.”
“But when we see positive news,” - she adds - “when we experience something hopeful, it makes us better at logical thinking, better at problem solving, better at creativity, imagination, and it makes us want to act.”
KELP! has now taken on a life of its own, with over seven screenings already planned across the US in the coming months.
“If you had asked me a few years ago,” - says Caylon - “I didn’t even know I wanted to get into photography and filmmaking. But I did know that I wanted to make my life somehow about advocating for nature.”
The next project - Caylon smiles mischievously again - is going to focus on rewilding, but she is thinking of blurring away the human perspective entirely to focus solely on nature.
For now, that’s all she can say. And so, we shall patiently wait.
This article was updated on 15 April 2024, removing the statement that East Sussex council had received funding to deploy underwater boulders. This article was updated on 17 April 2024, removing reference to East Sussex council deploying boulders, and crediting the film’s co-director, Anna Roberts, whose expertise and influence set the intention for the film.