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Kelp forest

From Tilcayo Cats, the lean encyclopaedia by Tilcayo Knowledge Systems

A kelp forest is an underwater habitat formed by large brown algae called kelp, which grow in dense groups in cool, shallow coastal waters.[1] Kelp forests support many kinds of fish, invertebrates, birds and marine mammals.[2]

Kelp

Kelp are large brown algae, not plants, and there are about 30 different species of kelp worldwide.[3] Kelp is anchored to rocky seabeds by root-like holdfasts, and uses flexible stems called stipes and leaf-like blades to reach towards sunlight near the surface.[4] Many species have gas-filled bladders, called pneumatocysts, which help keep their blades floating so they can capture sunlight.[5] In ideal conditions, kelp can grow up to 18 inches (about 46 cm) a day.[6]

Where kelp forests grow

Kelp forests are found mainly along temperate coasts, including the Pacific shoreline from Alaska to Baja California.[7] Because kelp needs light for photosynthesis, kelp forests form in shallow water and are rarely found deeper than about 15 to 40 metres (49 to 131 feet).[8] Kelp forests also grow along the coast of the United Kingdom, where many are dominated by the kelp Laminaria hyperborea.[9]

Wildlife

According to the US National Ocean Service, kelp forests hold a greater variety of plants and animals than almost any other ocean community.[10] Many animals use the thick blades to shelter their young from predators and storms.[11] Mammals and birds that use kelp forests for protection or feeding include seals, sea lions, whales, sea otters, gulls, terns, herons and cormorants.[12]

Importance and change

Kelp forests help cycle nutrients, store carbon and reduce wave energy along the coast.[13] Storms and events such as El Niño can tear the kelp away, and the forest then begins to grow again each spring.[14] NOAA lists warming waters, pollution, habitat disturbance and shifts in the balance of predators and grazers among the pressures kelp forests face.[15]

A six-year experiment by the Marine Biological Association, from northern Scotland to southern England, found that kelp density and canopy cover returned within two to three years after kelp was removed.[16] Recovery was slower in warmer southern locations, and the researchers suggested that southern populations may become more vulnerable as ocean temperatures rise.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp are large brown algae that live in cool, relatively shallow waters close to the shore. They grow in dense groupings much like a forest on land.
  2. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. These underwater towers of kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammal species.
  3. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp are large brown algae, not plants, that grow in cool, nutrient-rich coastal waters. There are about 30 different species of kelp worldwide.
  4. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Anchored to rocky seafloors by root-like holdfasts, kelp use flexible stems called stipes and leaf-like blades to reach toward sunlight near the ocean's surface.
  5. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Many species also have gas-filled bladders, known as pneumatocysts, that help keep their blades suspended in the water column so they can capture sunlight more efficiently.
  6. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. In ideal conditions, kelp can grow up to 18 inches per day
  7. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp forests are found primarily along temperate coasts, including the Pacific shoreline from Alaska to Baja California.
  8. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Because of their dependency upon light for photosynthesis, kelp forests form in shallow open waters and are rarely found deeper than 49-131 feet
  9. ↑ Amy Schofield (16 June 2026). "Kelp forests show resilience to disturbance – but warming seas may slow recovery". Marine Biological Association. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Encouragingly, kelp forests dominated by Laminaria hyperborea showed strong recovery across all regions.
  10. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp forests harbor a greater variety and higher diversity of plants and animals than almost any other ocean community.
  11. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Many organisms use the thick blades as a safe shelter for their young from predators or even rough storms.
  12. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Among the many mammals and birds that use kelp forests for protection or feeding are seals, sea lions, whales, sea otters, gulls, terns, snowy egrets, great blue herons, cormorants, and shore birds.
  13. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp forests also help cycle nutrients, store carbon , and buffer wave energy along the coast.
  14. ↑ "What is a kelp forest?". National Ocean Service, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Storms and large weather events, like El Niño , can tear and dislodge the kelp, leaving a tattered winter forest to begin its growth again each spring.
  15. ↑ "Kelp Forest". Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp forests face a range of pressures, from warming waters and pollution to habitat disturbance and shifts in the balance of predators and grazers.
  16. ↑ Amy Schofield (16 June 2026). "Kelp forests show resilience to disturbance – but warming seas may slow recovery". Marine Biological Association. Retrieved 20 October 2026. Kelp density and canopy cover returned within just 2 to 3 years, while the full structure of the forest – including biomass and canopy height – generally recovered within 3 to 6 years.
  17. ↑ Amy Schofield (16 June 2026). "Kelp forests show resilience to disturbance – but warming seas may slow recovery". Marine Biological Association. Retrieved 20 October 2026. This suggests that while UK kelp forests remain stable today, southern populations may become increasingly vulnerable as ocean temperatures rise.
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