Whenever
we talk of forests, we visualize a vast expanse of land with lots of large
trees and thick lush green undergrowth…..and a variety of big and small animals
and insects living in the midst of this vegetation. We may be well aware that
there are different types of forests like tropical evergreen forests,
coniferous forests of the temperate region, deciduous forests etc..Grasslands
are also forests.
But
how many of us are aware that there are forests under the sea?
Along
the Pacific coasts of the North America, South America, Australia and near
South Africa, the ocean beds are densely populated with the Giant Kelp. These
are large algae that grow to about 90 feet high. They are brown algae and
absorb light using the pigment fucoxanthin which gives them their brown colour.
Large numbers of these algae grow close together forming “Kelp forests”.
Kelp
grow in waters that are nutrient rich, at a temperature below 21oC.
They grow in shallow waters near the coast so that they receive sufficient
sunlight.
Kelp
forests are the most diverse marine ecosystems. A variety of invertebrates,
fish, marine mammals and birds live in and around these forests. Large
creatures like sea lions, seals, otters, or even whales may take shelter in
these forests to escape from storms or predators. Kelps are known to calm down
sea storms because they weaken the currents and waves. They protect the shore
from wave action.
Sea
Urchins feed on Kelp to such a large extent that at times they raze the entire
forest to ground and prevent it from regrowing. This ecological imbalance is
however taken care of if there are enough Sea Otters to prey on the urchins.
Thus, the Sea Otter is a keystone species
of this ecosystem and prevents it from collapsing.
In
today’s times of energy crisis, scientists are trying to use Kelp as a source
of renewable energy. They are trying to make fuel from Kelp using bacteria.
Further reading:
