Home›Species›Habitat›Kelp ForestBiomeKelp ForestMarine and Coastal BiomesReference and ClassificationVerifiedA kelp forest is a marine biome of dense underwater stands formed by large, fast-growing brown algae of the order Laminariales, rooted to rocky seafloor by holdfasts and reaching toward the surface on gas-filled blades that can grow more than thirty centimetres a day under good conditions. Kelp forests occur in cold, nutrient-rich temperate and polar coastal waters, most famously along the Pacific coasts of North America and the coasts of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and their three-dimensional canopy shelters fish, invertebrates and marine mammals in a structure often compared to a forest on land. The biome depends on grazing pressure staying in balance, since sea urchins left unchecked by predators such as sea otters can strip a kelp forest to bare rock in what ecologists call an urchin barren.FactsKelp ForestConnectionsSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsClimateTypical Low Temperature (C)Well-attested7 17C is a representative cold-water kelp forest site (northern Scotland) from the cited study of Laminaria hyperborea, used as representative of kelp forests generally.Typical High Temperature (C)Well-attested21 121C is the cited study's own stated upper thermal survival limit for Laminaria hyperborea; other kelp genera (e.g. Macrocystis) tolerate slightly higher. Annual precipitation left unfilled: kelp forests are fully submerged coastal habitats with no direct precipitation exposure, the same reasoning already applied to Coral Reef, Marine and Mangrove Forest.DisputedAnnual Precipitation (mm)Scholarly debate990 2990mm is the source global ocean+land blended figure; the source does not isolate a kelp-forest-specific figure. Kelp forests are shallow, surface-exposed coastal marine systems, so the same global ocean blend already used on the Marine and Open Ocean biome entities is applied here.Kelp ForestFilter Results8 entriesCommon GroupAllBox Jellyfish (Cubozoa) (1)Bryozoans (Moss Animals) (1)Kelps (Laminariales) (1)Lobsters And Crayfish (1)Other Bony Fish (1)Perch-Like Fishes (Perciformes) (1)Sharks, Rays And Chimaeras (1)TaxonomyAllChondrichthyes (1)Cnidaria (1)Decapoda (1)Mustelidae (1)Perciformes (1)Phaeophyceae (1)Spiralia (1)Syngnathiformes (1)Conservation StatusAllEndangered (1)Least Concern (3)Not Evaluated (1)Vulnerable (1)EcosystemAllCoral Reef Systems (2)Gulf of California (1)Kelp Forests (6)Everyday GroupAllBox Jellyfish (Cubozoa) (1)Bryozoans (Moss Animals) (1)Kelps (Laminariales) (1)Lobsters And Crayfish (1)Other Bony Fish (1)Perch-Like Fishes (Perciformes) (1)Sharks, Rays And Chimaeras (1)DietAllCarnivore (6)Filter Feeder (1)Photosynthetic Autotroph (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (1)Marine (8)Relationship to PeopleAllDisease Vector (1)Eaten or Drunk by People (1)Farmed or Commercially Raised (1)Hunted or Fished (3)Kept as Pets (1)Venomous or Dangerous to Humans (1)Living or ExtinctAllYes (7)Where It LivesAllAustralia (1)China (1)Denmark (1)France (1)Mexico (4)North America (1)Norway (4)Russia (1)Sweden (2)United States (3)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 8Box JellyfishKelp ForestBryozoanKelp ForestCalifornia Spiny LobsterKelp ForestEmbiotoca jacksoniKelp ForestGiant KelpKelp ForestLeafy SeadragonKelp ForestPacific AngelsharkKelp ForestSea OtterKelp ForestConnectionsHome ToBox Jellyfish, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Box jellyfishtier 2Bryozoan, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: BryozoaCalifornia Spiny Lobster, Species Well-attested Source California spiny lobster (Wikipedia)Embiotoca jacksoni, Species Well-attested Source Embiotoca jacksoni (Wikipedia)Giant Kelp, Species Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Leafy Seadragon, Species Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Pacific Angelshark, Species Well-attested Source Pacific Angelshark (Wikipedia)Sea Otter, Species Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Sources1. Environmental Factors Influencing Primary Productivity of the Forest-Forming Kelp Laminaria hyperborea (PMC)PubMed Central (National Center for Biotechnology Information)IntroductionQuote, IntroductionThe upper thermal limit for survival of L. hyperborea is ~ 21 °C 37 , 38 with optimal performance at 10-15 °C 39 .View the Source2. Precipitation (Wikipedia)tier 2WikipediaWikipedia, Precipitation, lead sectionQuote, Wikipedia, Precipitation, lead sectionthe globally averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimetres (39 in), but over land it is only 715 millimetres (28.1 in)View the SourceEncyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Home To: Giant KelpHome To: Sea OtterHome To: Leafy SeadragonView the SourcePacific Angelshark (Wikipedia)Home To: Pacific Angelshark, Wikipedia intro: ". The Pacific angelshark inhabits shallow, coastal waters on sandy flats, usually near rocky reefs, kelp forests, or other underwater features. This species res..."View the SourceWikidata: BryozoaHome To: Bryozoan, IntroductionView the SourceCalifornia spiny lobster (Wikipedia)Home To: California Spiny Lobster, IntroductionView the SourceWikipedia: Box jellyfishtier 2WikipediaHome To: Box Jellyfish, DistributionQuote, Home To: Box Jellyfish, DistributionThey have been spotted in near-shore habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, kelp forests, and sandy beaches.View the SourceEmbiotoca jacksoni (Wikipedia)Home To: Embiotoca jacksoni, Distribution and habitatQuote, Home To: Embiotoca jacksoni, Distribution and habitatThey inhabit rocky areas and reefs, eelgrass beds, and kelp forests, but can occasionally be found in sandy areas near human structures like piers or pilings.View the SourceTake a Related QuizWorld Biomes in ExtremesCovers this kind of entry.Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? 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