Human activities are altering reef ecosystems, causing the breakdown of important ecological feedback, and resulting in transitions to undesirable reef states including the proliferation of sediment-trapping filamentous algae, known as turfs. This shift threatens to prevent the re-establishment of kelp beds. To investigate the proliferation of turf, we used a “state-by-disturbance” field experiment to test the effects of “reef state” (kelp beds vs. sea urchin barrens) and “Disturbance” (kelp bed deforestation or urchin removal vs. undisturbed controls) on the proliferation of turfs on 10 by 10 cm terracotta settlement tiles. The factor “Site” was tested with the manipulation performed at a depth of 10 m at two sites, St. Helens and Fortescue Bay. We show that the extent of turf proliferation is enhanced by disturbance, but was maximal within disturbed kelp beds, but in the absence of urchin grazing, turf was overgrown by recruiting kelps, with the rate of kelp recovery highly dependent on site. The low kelp recovery was consistent with elevated herbivore abundance causing high grazing disturbance of kelp beds. In conclusion, when canopy-forming species experience disturbances, it can create opportunities for sediment-trapping turfs, but the persistence of turfs was dependent on persistent grazing disturbance of kelp beds.