about 6 to 8 inches across and sort of heart shaped with rock at bottom tip of heart
I was walking along the beach about 1 year ago this time when the kelp beds (because of storms, wind and high and rough waves) are often washed ashore. At that time I found the roots of a washed ashore kelp tree in the shape of a heart wrapped round rocks. So, I brought it home and left it outide on my porch to look at as a curiosity. After storms the kelp that are left in the ocean and didn't wash ashore on the beaches reattach to the rocks and make new kelp forests for otters and other sea creatures to live, hide and feed in in somewhat a similar way that coral beds are cities of life in the tropics kelp beds are cities of life on the Northern and Southern California coasts in the ocean where otters and other sea life abound there.
The kelp attach themselves to the rocks (big and small on the bottom) and weave their roots around them and grow upwards towards the light and move in the waves which are caused mostly by wind changes and temperature changes in the oceans which provide ocean currents that run all over the world through the oceans of the world on the surface but mostly deeper into the waters as well.
Kelp forests provide food and shelter for thousands of species
In ideal conditions, kelp can grow up to 45 centimeters (18
inches) per day, and in stark contrast to the colorful and slow-growing
corals, the giant kelp canopies tower above the ocean floor. Like trees
in a forest, these giant algae provide food and shelter for many
organisms. Also like a terrestrial forest, kelp forests experience
seasonal changes. Storms and large weather events, like
El NiƱo, can tear and dislodge the kelp, leaving a tattered winter forest to begin its growth again each spring.
Kelp forests can be seen along much
of the west coast of North America. Kelp are large brown algae that
live in cool, relatively shallow waters close to the shore. They grow in
dense groupings much like a forest on land. These underwater towers of
kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and
marine mammal species. Kelp are very simple organisms that consist of a holdfast, a stipe, and blades. Select an image on the left to learn more.
Kelp forests harbor a greater variety and higher diversity of plants and animals than almost any other ocean community. Many organisms use the thick blades as a safe shelter for their young from predators or even rough storms.
Among the many mammals and birds that use kelp forests for protection or feeding include seals, sea lions, whales, sea otters, gulls, terns, snowy egrets, great blue herons, cormorants, and shore birds.
These dense canopies of algae generally occur in cold, nutrient-rich waters. Because of their dependency upon light for photosynthesis, kelp forests form in shallow open waters and are rarely found deeper than 15-40 meters (49-131 feet).
NOAA scientists study kelp forests by visiting the same locations over and over to assess the presence and abundance of a variety of organisms. Monitoring allows marine scientists to determine if the kelp forest is changing over time and to identify the cause of those changes, whether natural or human.
For more information:
Kelp Forests, National Marine Sanctuaries
Kelp Forest and Rocky Subtidal Habitats, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelp.htmlj
Later:March 10th 2014: Since I wrote and compiled this I also learned that Kelp is a form of giant Algae. Though I saw this on TV I wonder how this could be correct?
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