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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
