Previous research on fish-kelp relationships has found that recruitment and the abundance of fishes is often positively related to the abundance of kelp.  Manipulations of kelp abundance, however, have explored the distribution and abundance of fishes in the presence and absence of kelp, but not variation in the density of kelp as a proxy for a gradient in disturbance.  Kevin conducted research at the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (WIES) on Santa Catalina Island, off Los Angles, California.  The objective of Kevin's study was to determine the effects of disturbance to and the recovery of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) on the recruitment, abundance, and structure of fish assemblages.  He also monitored the recovery of kelp to address at what point recovery from treatments of disturbance was equivalent to undisturbed kelp in terms of fish abundance and assemblage structure. In addition, Kevin conducted experiments to determine whether the distribution and morphology of fronds that represent mature vs. recovering kelp forests influences recruitment of fishes.

Although there were differences among treatments for both recruits and older life stages of fishes, recovery of kelp occurred within a 1-yr period, with no detectable differences in recruitment or the abundance of older fishes among treatments.  In his small-scale experiment to determine whether there were differences between the distribution and morphology of giant kelp that represent mature vs. recovering kelp forests, the distribution of fronds was most important in recruitments success (mainly kelp bass and senorita).  The results of this research demonstrate that a gradient of disturbance can produce differences in recruitment and the abundance of older life stages that would not be detected with the mere presence and absence of giant kelp forests.