Kelp Forests Around The World

Discover these underwater rainforests and the life they support

Fish in an Ecklonia forestOriginal Source: Daniel Poloha

A kelp forest is a dense underwater habitat or ecosystem, primarily made up of large brown seaweeds known as kelps. These majestic underwater forests can be found in cold, nutrient-rich waters and are truly the forests of the sea, always teeming with marine life.

Distribution of the world's kelp forestsOriginal Source: GRID-Arendal

More than 750 million people live within 50 km of a kelp forest - and many don't even know they are there.

Let's take a look at some kelp forest locations around the world.

Sea lions in a giant kelp forestOriginal Source: Ralph Pace

California (USA)

Dominant kelp: Giant Kelp (Macrocystis) in the south, Bull Kelp (Nereocystis) in the north
Ecosystem: Sea urchins, abalone, sea otters, herrings, and whales

North California CoastOriginal Source: Ralph Pace

Kelp forests helped enable people to move from Asia to the Americas some 16,000 years ago - the floating kelp dampening waves, creating safe canoe passageways and fueling the long journey.

Sea Otter FamilyOriginal Source: Harold Litwiler

But with colonization came the relentless hunting of top predators causing an ecosystem imbalance - now amplified by rising water temperatures and ocean viruses.

Sheephead in giant kelp forest, CaliforniaKelp Forest Alliance

Still, these resilient forests persist in colder ocean zones. California is the birthplace of modern kelp restoration in the English-speaking world and now hosts more kelp scientists than anywhere else in the world.

Macrocystis in PatagoniaOriginal Source: Enric Sala

Southern Patagonia

Dominant kelp: Giant Kelp (Macrocystis) and Lessonia
Ecosystem: false abalone (loco), sea urchins, local fishing communities, sea lions

Macrocystis in PatagoniaOriginal Source: Enric Sala

In a land of fire, icy seas boast the largest kelp forests on our planet. The Giant Kelp forests along the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina can easily be seen from space!

Macrocystis in PatagoniaOriginal Source: Enric Sala

The cold oceans at Tierra del Fuego have left these kelp forests relatively untouched by time and despite some loss of knowledge, many people still use these forests as they did hundreds of years ago.

Crayweed forest AustraliaOriginal Source: Justin Gillian

The Great Southern Reef (Australia)

Dominant kelp: Golden Kelp (Ecklonia), Crayweed (Phyllospora)
Ecosystem: sea urchins, abalone, warm ocean water, sea dragons, sea lions, cuttlefish

Ecklonia forest SydneyOriginal Source: John Turnbull

Four times larger than its coral reef counterpart, the Great Southern Reef (GSR) is the world's largest continuous kelp forest and boasts more species of seaweed than anywhere on Earth. Dominated by Golden Kelp, the GSR spans the bottom half of the continent - and 5 states!

Weedy SeadragonOriginal Source: John Turnbull

Home to sea dragons, fur seals, and prized abalone, people have relied on Australian kelp forests for tens of thousands of years. 

Crayweed PlantingOriginal Source: Tom Burd

Despite declining kelp forest numbers, generations of fishing practices are helping researchers manage healthy kelp. Even new genetic testing techniques are underway to help identify kelp which can thrive in warmer waters, in order to restore these ocean forests.

Abalone in KoreaOriginal Source: Gwangbok Kim

Northern Japan and Korea

Dominant kelp: Saccharina and Laminaria
Ecosystem: sea urchins, Porphyra (nori), sea otters (Japan)

Lionfish kelp in KoreaOriginal Source: Aaron Eger

Japan and Korea are home to "seafood lovers". In Korea, kelp (Undaria) soup is eaten on your first birthday! Kelp forests have played integral roles in their societies for millennia. From food, fisheries, medicine, legends and culture, kelp is both known and respected. 

Korean Restoration projectOriginal Source: Gwangbok Kim

It therefore comes at no surprise that the world's largest and most ambitious kelp restoration projects are located in Japan and Korea.

Six-gill shark in a South African kelp forestKelp Forest Alliance

South Africa

Dominant kelp: Ecklonia, Laminaria
Ecosystem: sharks, octopus, abalone, lobster

Six-gill shark in a South African kelp forestKelp Forest Alliance

The Great African Seaforest is home to the "sequoias of the sea". Ecklonia stipes create a thick forest home to sharks, abalone, lobsters, and of course, the now famous academy award-winning octopus.

Abalone ShellOriginal Source: Hilary Haliwell

From monitoring free-divers to abalone poachers, park rangers work hard to keep the still healthy forests teeming with life. It's one of the few locations on the planet that don't need our restoration help.

Baja California kelp forestOriginal Source: Rodrigo Baes

Forgotten no longer

These are just a few examples of how kelp forests support life around our planet. With their incredible diversity and sea life, they truly are wonders of our undersea world. Learn more about kelp forests and the work to save them with the Kelp Forest Alliance.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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