dinner set is a hand-built ceramics dinner set made for eating sustainably from Southern California’s nearshore kelp forests.

California’s kelp forests are home to a stunning diversity of marine animals and plants. These ecosystems are also damaged by development, runoff, oceanic climate change, overfishing, and other anthropogenic forces. A highly visible and famous threat facing these forests is the overpopulation of the purple hotchi urchin, which is caused by over-harvest or decline of the urchin’s natural predators, including fish, otters and sea stars. When the hotchi urchins become overpopulated, they leave the crevices where they live and begin rampaging, and can raze an entire kelp forest, leaving behind mono-genetic “urchin barrens.” Around the state, keeping the urchins in check has become a huge joint effort, scientists, aquaculturists and fishermen coming together to cull and harvest the urchins. In some cases, removing the urchins from an area can regrow a kelp forest in an astounding 28 day period.

Fortunately, there are ways for every Californian to support the regeneration of these important forests too. By eating sustainably from the kelp forests, we can support these economies that strengthen the coastal ecosystems. Uni, abalone, and seaweed are all healthy, delicious, and regenerative local sea foods.

I made this dinner set at the ceramics studio at the Roski School of Art - thank you to Tom and to all the students there.

University of Southern California, 2024