TIDES OF CHANGE

The towering kelp forests off California support a vast array of life, but this delicate ecosystem is facing challenging times

An underwater world Kelp forests are incredibly rich habitats, with a complex structure that provides food and shelter for a vast array of marine species (here, kelp rockfish). A type of cold-water alga, kelp grows in temperate and polar regions worldwide, notably along the Pacific coast of North America. However, in the waters off California, this habitat is in severe decline, a result of warm-water events in 2014 and 2015, and overgrazing by sea urchins. The loss of this diverse forest has had huge implications for the local marine ecosystem. The short and the tall The 30 or so species of kelp found off California come in myriad forms. The tallest is the giant kelp, which can grow up to 50 metres and forms towering underwater forests. Sub-canopy kelps are…

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Bbc Wildlife (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2024

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