- Forests Without Names is the first unified global effort to name and map sea forests, making the ocean’s invisible forests visible.
- Created in collaboration with BBDO New York, the campaign is designed to help bring these overlooked ocean ecosystems into maps, public conversation, and the frameworks needed for long-term protection.
Why Sea Forests Matter:
- Sea forests are climate-critical but often overlooked. Sea forests are biodiversity hotspots that support hundreds to thousands of species locally.
- According to a BBC report, globally, seaweeds (including kelp) are thought to sequester nearly 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – as much as New York State’s annual emissions.
- Global scientific interest in seaweed’s climate value accelerated in 2025 following discussions at the IPCC’s 63rd Session in Lima, recognizing the need to consider seaweed in future carbon accounting frameworks.
- Their loss can trigger ecosystem collapse in some coastal regions. In areas where kelp disappears, biodiversity drops dramatically (source).
- Yet, despite their importance for biodiversity and carbon capture, many remain fragmented across local data sets and are not consistently recognized within broader environmental systems.
- Everyone can name a famous forest on land, from the Amazon to Yosemite, but almost no one can name a sea forest. That’s because, until now, there has been no unified naming or mapping standard for sea forests, leaving them largely invisible to the public and absent from many climate conversations.
- That invisibility has serious consequences:
- Sea forests had not been recognized as carbon offsets until recently, and they have been excluded from climate policy frameworks.
- A recent journal commentary shows that just 15.9% of sea forests globally are in protected areas.
- However, only 1.6% of the forests are in areas with the highest levels of protection, suggesting that some marine protected areas (MPAs) may not effectively protect sea forests from threats.
- Ecological areas that aren’t named are often left unprotected. Naming and defining geographic boundaries are foundational steps toward formal recognition, helping ecosystems gain visibility in policy frameworks, educational resources, and future conservation planning.
How the Campaign Works:
- Working with coastal communities and NGO partners, Forests Without Names introduces the first unified global map of sea forests. The program merges local and regional maps from multiple organizations into a shared standard, creating a single reference point for understanding sea forest ecosystems worldwide.
- The map is designed as a living scientific resource that ultimately supports efforts to preserve biodiversity. The map combines NGO sea forest data with ocean conditions from The Weather Company, including sea temperature and storm patterns. This becomes a living map to help scientists and conservation groups track ecosystem changes over time, build historical records, and better understand how sea forests grow, shift, or decline.
- By helping researchers identify patterns that precede growth or decline, the platform becomes a practical tool for NGOs and scientists working to protect ecosystems globally. Over time, the data supports the evidence needed to help sea forests gain formal recognition and inclusion in universally recognized global mapping systems.
- The campaign will culminate in the naming of three previously unrecognized sea forests. Local communities will play a central role in the naming process, ensuring that the identities assigned to sea forests reflect regional culture, place and identity.
- In Korea: One of the two restored sea forests in Ulsan was formally named as ‘Ullim’ (a Korean word that evokes the sense of resonance or an echo) in partnership with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, FIRA (Korea Fisheries Resources Agency) and local marine experts.
- In Argentina: The official sea forest name has been assigned through a collaboration with a marine conservation NGO and local coastal community.
- In Australia: In close collaboration with the local NGO and community, the naming candidates have been proposed, and the final name will be selected through a global public vote, ensuring broad public engagement.
Additional Background:
- Through a dedicated website, unified map, and film content, Forests Without Names seeks to transform awareness into action by showing how identity, data, and community storytelling can help bring overlooked ecosystems into the future of climate conversation and conservation.
- Forests Without Names builds on Hyundai’s broader IONIQ Forest Project and last year’s Tree Correspondents initiative, expanding the company’s environmental storytelling from land-based forests to ocean ecosystems. The campaign reflects Hyundai’s ongoing commitment to reforestation, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration, now continuing its environmental efforts beneath the ocean surface.
- Hyundai has supported sea forest restoration work in South Korea, including in Ulsan, where two sea forests have been restored and named through collaborative efforts with the central government. It is the first case in Korea where a private company has participated in a central government initiative to create sea forests. Since 2021, the company has also participated in marine waste collection initiatives across 10 countries, with collected materials upcycled into vehicle components.
- Forests Without Names is rooted in Hyundai’s philosophy of Progress for Humanity and represents an important part of the company’s ongoing journey toward marine conservation. For reference:
