Science is Fun Fridays!

Sampling from my vacation photos, I wanted to focus on kelp.  I was surprised by the float, as it was much harder than I expected.  I thought it would be more squishy.

The floats, or pneumatocysts, keep the blades closer to the surface for photosynthesis purposes, and are usually filled with a combination of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

Kelp is a type of algae, which depends on the moving water to supply nutrients.  While it has all the markers of being a plant, it's actually a protist - a eukaryotic organism that isn't plant, animal, or fungus.

Kelp forests are unique ecosystems - along the California coast, giant kelp makes up the canopy layer.  Here you can find crabs, snails, and juvenile fish.  These species feed on the fronds but are also a source of food for predatory fish and seabirds.

Kelp forests also play a role in creating the perfect environment for phytoplankton, which serves as the base of the aquatic food web.  Spring winds blow surface waters and the nutrient-rich waters below are brought up.  More sunlight supports kelp growth, and thus the phytoplankton can thrive.

With a thick canopy barring light, by fall, the kelp weakens and is easily torn by winds.  We saw various other pieces which still included the holdfast even.

Google Search

Photo 2: "kelp forest"

Photo 3: "kelp anatomy"