Kelp Forest Restoration Along the California Coast
"I can only compare these great aquatic forests . . . with
the terrestrial ones in the intertropical regions. Yet if in
any country a forest was destroyed, I do not believe
nearly so many species of animals would perish as would
here, from the destruction of the kelp. Amidst the leaves
of this plant numerous species of fish live, which
nowhere else could find food or shelter; with their
destruction the many cormorants and other fishing
birds, the otters, seals, and porpoise, would soon perish
also; and lastly, the Fuegian[s] . . . would . . . decrease in
numbers and perhaps cease to exist."
-Charles Darwin, 1834
the terrestrial ones in the intertropical regions. Yet if in
any country a forest was destroyed, I do not believe
nearly so many species of animals would perish as would
here, from the destruction of the kelp. Amidst the leaves
of this plant numerous species of fish live, which
nowhere else could find food or shelter; with their
destruction the many cormorants and other fishing
birds, the otters, seals, and porpoise, would soon perish
also; and lastly, the Fuegian[s] . . . would . . . decrease in
numbers and perhaps cease to exist."
-Charles Darwin, 1834
Table of Contents
Introduction
www.noaa.gov
Kelp forests are highly diverse ecosystems and are among the most productive on Earth. They provide an important habitat for a wide variety of life, such as: invertebrates, marine mammals, and many commercially important fishes. Kelp forests are often found worldwide in temperate, cold water; however, some forests have been found in warmer waters off the coast of Ecuador. Kelp is a brown macro-algae of the order Laminariales with multiple different genera and species. These environmental wonders are being threatened and destroyed, and they need our help to bring them back to life [1].
Worldwide Distribution
Robert S. Steneck, Michael H. Graham et al: Kelp forest ecosystems - biodiversity, stability, resilience and future
