Dive Into Your Imagination

Everyone imagines rainforests on land as an important ecosystem, yet off the coasts of North and South America, Australia and Europe grows Giant Kelp Forests, some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world! Kelp Forests are an ocean habitat that is a nursery ground for juvenile fish and home to sea otters, crabs, lobsters and other invertebrates. Schooling fish find shelter within these underwater forests.  Check out the video to learn more!

Although many people think of kelp as a plant, kelp is an algae and gets its energy from photosynthesis. The kelp grows on rocky reefs with a holdfast to secure it to the bottom, instead of a root system like plants. The holdfast does not obtain nutrients from the ocean like a plant’s root system, instead the kelp fronds are leaf-like blades that grow from the kelp stipes. The kelp blade can photosynthesize on both sides and are held afloat in the water by gas filled bladder, pneumatocysts. These pneumatocysts help keep the kelp blades close to the surface where photosynthesis readily happens.

Urchins graze on kelp, and so do sea stars and even giant sea hares. Kelp is often called seaweed as it grows on coastlines around the world. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and many of the food we eat has kelp in it! Kelp needs clean water and sunlight to grow. Giant kelp can grow two to three feet vertically in one day when conditions are right. Scuba diving or snorkeling in a kelp forest can be an unbelievable experience and one filled with colors never imagined. There colors are mad up of purple top shells, orange kelp snails, rockfish and kelp bass. So many animals make their homes here.

BLUE OCEAN TIP: Off the coasts of many countries governments are creating Marine Protected Areas, MPAs. Kelp forests are one of the most important ecosystems in our ocean. With our growing population and increased building along our coastlines, many ecosystems are being threatened. We need to ensure that there is plenty of protected areas off our coast to ensure a healthy ocean, and a healthy life for all of us. Remember that the ocean is responsible for more than 70% of the oxygen of our planet!

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