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In Alaskan kelp forest ecosystems, sea otters are the keystone species that mediates this trophic cascade. In Southern California, kelp forests persist without sea otters and the control of herbivorous urchins is instead mediated by a suite of predators including lobsters and large fishes, such as the California sheephead.
Giant kelp forests are found in various water zones, including the Eastern Pacific Coast (from Alaska and Canada to the waters off Baja California), as well as the temperate coasts of South ...
Kelp grows in "underwater forests" (kelp forests) in shallow oceans. Kelps were previously thought to have appeared in the Miocene , 5 to 23 million years ago based on fossils from California. [ 5 ] New fossils of kelp holdfasts from early Oligocene rocks in Washington State show that kelps were present in the northeastern Pacific Ocean by at ...
Giant kelp forests surround the islands and act as a source of nutrition and protection for other animals. [2] Invasive species, such as the Australian blue gum tree, olive tree, sweet fennel and Harding grass threaten native species through competition for light, nutrients, and water. The Australian blue gum, for example, releases toxins in ...
Stunning photos posted to Facebook show the dive team’s encounter with an inquisitive harbor seal during a training dive through the kelp forests of eastern Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands ...
“Kelp forms whole forests that are supporting so many other species and so it just has this cascading effect on the near-shore ecosystem when you lose your kelp,” Elsmore said. “You’re ...
It generally inhabits sandy flats, rocky reefs, and kelp forests from the surface to a depth of 200 m (660 ft), but has also been known to make forays into the open ocean. Measuring up to 1.4 m (4.6 ft) long, this species has smooth-rimmed spiracles (paired respiratory openings behind the eyes) and a dark gray, slate, or brown dorsal coloration ...
A potential threat that may arise is loss of habitat due to climate change and its resulting consequences such as ocean acidification and pollution, as well as destruction and/or massive die-offs of kelp forests. This poses a threat because this species depends on dense canopies of kelp for protection from predators and for reproduction.