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A kelp forest at Cojo Anchorage near Point Conception, California. Physically formed by brown macroalgae, kelp forests provide a unique habitat for marine organisms [6] and are a source for understanding many ecological processes.
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. These underwater towers of kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammal species.
Kelp forests also provide a variety of ecosystem services to humans and serve as habitat for a number of commercially important fishery species such as kelp bass and black rockfish. What threats do kelp forests face?
Kelp forests temporarily store a staggering amount of carbon—approximately 20 times more per acre than forests on land—which helps temper ocean acidification in coastal waters, a symptom of climate change.
Kelp forests provide habitat for a variety of invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, and birds. Many species of fish and marine mammals inhabit kelp forests for protection and food. In kelp forests, the most commonly found invertebrates are bristle worms, scud, prawn, snails, and brittle stars.
Kelp forests are underwater ecosystems formed in shallow water by the dense growth of several different species known as kelp. Though they look very much like plants, kelps are actually extremely large brown algae.
Earth is Blue: Kelp Forests. Dive into your West Coast national marine sanctuaries to discover magnificent kelp forests. Tiered like a terrestrial rainforest with a canopy and several layers below, kelp forests shelter an amazing array of life, from tiny invertebrates to the charismatic sea otter.