The Amazing Kelp Forest

By Anonymous -
by Meagan and Tim
http://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/kelp-forest.htm
Overview
Kelp forests are home to the highest diversity of animals of almost any other places in the world. Although kelp appear to be large individual plant organisms, kelp are an association of individual brown algae cells. Kelp average 45-131 feet in length, growing as tall as the Statue of Liberty! Amazingly, kelp stalks can grow up to 18 inches per day! Check out how this sizes up to other things on land! Along with being massive sanctuaries for animals, kelp is a useful resource to humans in the form of energy and alginate products.
https://twitter.com/spaceportnqy/status/641623171125366784

The Kelp Itself
 Bladder-like structures, called pneumatocysts hold air and suspend the kelp in an upright position toward the surface of the ocean. The holdfast is a rootlike structure that anchors the kelp to the floor of the ocean. Large leaf-like structures called blades are the main sites of photosynthesis for the kelp and offer cover and concealment for the animals that call kelp forests home. The blades extend off of the thallus, or body of the kelp. Because kelp are photosynthetic autotrophs, meaning they are dependent on light for production of energy and survival the kelp will not be found living below depths where sufficient light penetrates the ocean water. This depth varies with location. Kelp plants undergo sexual reproduction involving a diploid sporophyte (the "zygote") generation along with a haploid gametophyte (individual "egg" and "sperm") generation.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/10766486583178557/
Spatially speaking, kelp are found worldwide along the shorelines of all continents, excluding Antarctica. Kelp belong to the order Laminariales. The most common families include Akkesiphycaceae, Alariaceae, Chordaceae, Costariaceae, Laminariaceae, and Pseudochordaceae. There are over thirty genera of kelp worldwide. Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, can be seen growing in captivity at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey Bay, California as well as off the west coast of North America. The "Giant Kelp Forest" is composed of this species. An interesting observation is that the tallest underwater plant and tallest terrestrial plants (Redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens) are found very near each other on the map along the California coast!



Life inside a kelp forest
A large variety of organisms can be found in kelp forests. Many of these are useful for the world fishing industry. There are also many marine mammals that inhabit these forests for food and shelter. These include sea lions, seals, and even grey whales protecting themselves from the killer whale. Grey whales also prey upon many crustaceans and invertebrates in kelp forests. 
Another important mammal found in kelp forests is the sea otter, which uses the forest as shelter from sharks. They eat the red sea urchin, preventing the urchin from destroying the forest by controlling the urchin population.
Birds such as crows, warblers, and starlings feet on small organisms such as flies that are extremely common in kelp forests. Other birds feed on a wide variety of fish and invertebrates in the forests. Birds are also afforded protection from storms within these forests. 


http://urchinsandkelpforests.blogspot.com
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/oceans/images/34416322/title/kelp-forest-photo
http://www.amazon.com/Jolla-Shores-Creatures-Franko-Laminated/dp/1931494622
Kelp in the Ecosystem
Since Giant Kelp have such a rapid growth rate and have many useful commercial properties, they are harvested off the coasts of California and Mexico.
Kelp has many commercial uses including being used as food for mollusk farms. Algin is extracted from kelp to be used as an emulsifier in processed foods in order to provide a smooth texture. Other uses of Algin include cosmetics, ceramics, paint, asphalt, toothpaste, and paper.
Since kelp are such a diverse habitat for many organisms, kelp are vital for different industries, including the fishing industry.
While on the surface, kelp may seem like just a large plant occupying space in the ocean, it is diverse and vital to the global ecosystem.

Sources:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelp.html
http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/eviau/edit557/oceans/norma/oklpfst.htm
http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/kelpforest.html
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-kelp.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelplives.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/pplkelp.html
http://www.geol.utas.edu.au/kelpwatch/h_c.html

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