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Kelp Rockfish
Photograph by William R. Curtsinger
Kelp rockfish navigate a towering kelp forest near California's Bodega Bay. Kelp is one of the world's fastest-growing plants, with some species adding up to a foot (31 centimeters) per day.
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Red Crab
Photograph by William R. Curtsinger
A bright red kelp crab nestles into kelp leaves near Bodega Bay, California. Kelp forests grow mainly in cold waters and provide shelter for hundreds of marine organisms.
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Flotation Bulbs
Photograph by Timothy G. Laman
Giant kelp, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, uses flotation bulbs like these to grow toward the water's surface.
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Giant Sea Kelp
Photograph by Timothy G. Laman
Sunlight filters through a maze of giant kelp near Catalina Island in California. Kelp grows only on rocky seafloor and only as deep as the sun's rays penetrate.
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Dense Algae Growth, British Columbia
Photograph by Peter Essick
Columns of bright-green algae grow in the nutrient-rich waters of Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands.
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Kelp Forest Anemones
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
Multicolored anemones, lavender bryozoans, and other organisms cover rocks in a kelp forest near Vancouver Island in western Canada. Strong currents around the island carry nutrients into the Queen Charlotte Strait, supporting an abundance of marine wildlife there.
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Forest of Kelp Tangles
Photograph by Nick Caloyianis
A tangled kelp forest fills the water column off the coast of Maine. Kelp is harvested all over the world and used in such things as foods, fertilizers, and soaps.
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Kelp Leaves
Photograph by Nick Caloyianis
Kelp leaves sway in the ocean currents off Monhegan Island, Maine. Kelp grows best in cool, clear, shallow ocean waters.
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