Andrew Aitken

English 363

Leslie Bruce

19 February 2019

Kelp Forest

A kelp forest is an underwater environment that is home to large, dense clusters of marine

algae. A kelp forest is different from a kelp bed, which is a smaller area of algae patches. Mostly

consisting of dense anchored kelp that grow up towards the surface, these aquatic ecosystems

are one of the most productive places on the planet. They can be found all around the world

usually in shallow coastlines throughout the northern and southern hemispheres (1). However,

they are a dynamic ecosystem, which means they can disappear or reappear based on

environmental conditions. This three dimensional habitat provides room for many species of

marine organisms (1).

Kelp

Kelp is a type of brown algae from the order Laminariales (4). In terms of species, there is not

much diversity for kelp. Although, multiple species of kelp can make up a kelp forest. Kelp is

extremely complex in both structure and function. They are similar to terrestrial plants in

structure, but very different in terms of function. For instance, kelp have roots that anchor

them to the seafloor called a “holdfast” (4). However, the holdfast is not responsible for

absorbing nutrients and is only used to anchor the algae. Above the holdfast is the stipe, which
is similar to a stalk. All the photosynthetic activity and

nutrient uptake takes place at the broad, leaf like

attachments called fronds (4). These extend up close to the

surface in order to take in sunlight for photosynthesis. To

help with reaching the surface, the fronds have small, gas

filled bladders called pneumatocysts (4) near the stipe. This

helps the entire kelp maintain an upright position so it can

reach the surface.

Location

Kelp species require areas with a hard substrate, high nutrients, and lots of light. Most species

are found within temperate and arctic waters around the world (2). Location varies per species,

but all require similar environmental conditions.

They must be able to anchor and produce energy

from the abundant light and nutrients. With the

right conditions, kelp species are able to grow as

much as 30-60cm per day (2). Optimal growth rate

is connected with times of upwelling, a process where ocean currents cycle water upward from

the depths. This cycling of water carries nutrients up towards the kelp forests.
Ecology

Kelp forests have a very diverse ecosystem structure which includes multiple levels. As you

move down from the top “canopy” towards the bottom, you will find various species of

organisms. Various midlevel fish species hang around the top of the kelp while many benthic or

“bottom dwelling” organisms live down by the holdfast. Every organism in this ecosystem plays

an important role (2). A study conducted in an Alaskan kelp forest found that without Sea

otters, the urchin population grew out of proportion and began to eat all of the kelp (3). This

trophic or “species level” interaction shows the importance of just one species. With the

urchins eating all the kelp, other species that depend on the kelp will be hurt as well. This

continued flow of harm between trophic levels is known as a trophic cascade. Trophic cascades

are very possible in kelp forests because of the dependence on the primary producer.

Human Use

As for human use, kelp forests have been very important to humans for many years. Many

resources have come from kelp forests and have been used by coastal settlers. Various forms of

food such as fish, shellfish, and crustaceans could be obtained from this ecosystem. Not to

mention the use of kelp in many modern products. One study looked at the effects of kelp

waste on the growth of a green algae that was used as a biofuel (5). They found that the kelp

waste promotes the growth of the green algae by about 100 percent (5). This can be used for

the large scale cultivation of this green algae for biofuel production.
Human Impact

The complexity and environmental requirements of kelp forests only leave them vulnerable to

harm. A study analyzed 34 of 99 sites where kelp forests are located and found an average

decline in kelp species abundance on a global

scale (6). Water pollution is one of the main

ways that kelp forests are being threatened by

humans. Any pollution that alters the water

quality will have a devastating effect on kelp

because of their specific environmental

requirements. Overfishing is another threat

because it may remove a certain trophic level or

“keystone species” that may cause a trophic cascade and harm the balance of the ecosystem

(3). Figure 3 shows a picture of what happened when the Alaskan otter numbers declined, as a

result the amount of urchins exploded and began to eat all of the kelp roots. Invasive species

such as seaweed-eating fish that are brought over with the warm water can also impact kelp

forests by directly eating the kelp or negatively impacting the food web as a whole (3). One

solution that has been presented is to directly protect a kelp forest from fishing and declaring it

a marine protected area. Also monitoring the population numbers of invasive species will make

sure that they do not impact kelp ecosystems. Protecting existing kelp forests may also benefit

the regeneration of future kelp forests in areas with optimal conditions.

 Works Cited

1.“Kelp Forest.” Oceana, oceana.org/marine-life/marine-science-and-ecosystems/kelp-forest.

2.“Kelp Forests - a Description.” Impact of Coral Reefs | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries,
sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/ecosystems/kelpdesc.html.

3.O&Amp; Apos, et al. “Consequences of Habitat Disturbance and Recovery to Recruitment and
the Abundance of Kelp Forest Fishes.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and
Ecology, vol. 386, no. 1, 2010, pp. 1–10.

4. “Kelp.” Surf Science, www.surfscience.org/articles/kelp.

5. Zheng, et al. “Kelp Waste Extracts Combined with Acetate Enhances the Biofuel
Characteristics of Chlorella Sorokiniana.” Bioresource Technology, vol. 225, 2017, pp.
142–150.

6. Krumhansl, Kira A, et al. “Global Patterns of Kelp Forest Change over the Past Half-Century.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol.
113, no. 48, 2016, pp. 13785–13790.

Figure 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anatomical_diagram_of_kelp.jpg
Figure 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_forest
Figure 3: http://images.enews.oceannews.com/images/E-news_12-3-
14/Oceantippingpoints.jpg

I used the negation technique to differ from a kelp patch. Also used pictures and diagrams to

help visualize what is being described. The entire paper is also organized into sub sections in

order to cover different areas of the definition.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Cassandra Gonzalez for providing me insight as to how I should

organize the paper. Not to mention the help she gave with fixing my simple sentence.