Kelp Forest

Underwater area with a high density of large seaweeds or algae, recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth:



Kelp Forest

Note: Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds.

Kelp Forest

The kelp forests off southern California are considered to be some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, yet a new study indicates that today's kelp beds are less extensive and lush than those in the recent past.

The kelp forest tripled in size from the peak of glaciation 20,000 years ago to about 7,500 years ago, then shrank by up to 70 percent to present day levels, according to the study by Rick Grosberg, professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology and the Center for Population Biology at UC Davis, with Michael Graham of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratory and Brian Kinlan at UC Santa Barbara [Read more here].