Pictures
Location
Species Diversity
Abiotic Features
Other Facts!
100
What ecosystem is this?
A kelp forest!
100
Kelp forests form in ..... and ..... waters.
Kelp forests form in shallow and open waters.
100
True or False. Kelp forests are one of the most diverse ocean communities.
True! They have a great variety and high diversity of plants and animals!
100
Name one abiotic feature that affects kelp forests.
Possible Answers: kelp harvesting, grazing by fishes, sea urchins, crustaceans, plant competition, storms, El Niño events, sedimentation, and pollution.
100
What pigment do all of the seaweeds contain?
Chlorophyll (like our lab)!
200
What is the name of this fish that lives in a kelp forest ecosystem?
Garibaldi!
200
Does kelp need cool water?
Yes! In order to survive and thrive it needs cooler water.
200
Name one animal that lives in the kelp forest ecosystem.
Possible Answers: Sea Urchins, Sea Otters, Fish, Octopuses, Grey Whales, Invertebrates, Sea Lions, and Seals.
Maybe even the Talkative Kelp and Judgemental Worms! (imaginary animals)
200
At what temperature do kelp forests grow best?
Between 42–72 degrees F (5–20 degrees Celcius). If the water is too warm (warmer than 20 degrees), the kelp does not thrive as well.
200
Name one way humans impact kelp forests.
Possible answers: climate change, poor water quality, overfishing, sewage, runoff, and more!
300
Is this a healthy kelp forest?
Yes! Kelp does come in the color of brown, and it has all the necessary requirements to thrive in the environment.
300
What measurement (in feet) are kelp forests mostly found?
Kelp forests are rarely found deeper than 49-131 feet.
300
What plants can be found in this ecosystem?
Possible Answers: ALL TYPES OF KELP like eelgrass, star grass, turtle grass, widgeon grass, and more types of grass. Sea moss and sea lettuce as well.
300
True or False.
The water has to be clear in a kelp forest ecosystem.
True! The water must be clear so that sunlight can reach the ocean floor where the kelp life begins.
300
Name two ways kelp forests benefit humans.
Possible answers: biological importance (helps plants and animals thrive in an environment), economic importance (kelp is used as fertilizers, food, and a potential alternative energy source), and so many other examples relating to those two factors!
400
What in this picture is destructive to kelp forests?
The Sea Urchin... uh oh
400
Approximately how much of earth's coastlines do kelp forests cover?
Kelp forests are found throughout the world including along the west coasts of North and South America, the southern tip of Africa and Australia, and islands near Antarctica. Together, kelp forests cover over 20% of the world’s coastlines or about 570,000 square miles.
400
What is the species diversity in a kelp forest?
Kelp forests are evolutionarily diverse, structurally complex, and highly productive components of coldwater rocky marine coastlines.
400
What should the pH drop be in order for a kelp forest community to maintain high productivity?
The kelp forest community would maintain high productivity with a 0.5 drop in pH.
400
How do kelp forests float?
"Underwater, kelp forests stand tall thanks to their floating, gas-filled bladders known as pneumatocysts. These gas chambers make kelp fronds buoyant, allowing the seaweed to grow upright towards the ocean’s surface where kelp can receive more of the sunlight it needs to proliferate."
500
Where is this kelp forest?
Aquarium of the Pacific!
500
What is the largest kelp forest?
The Great African Seaforest! This enormous habitat fringes the shores of Cape Town and stretches north for more than 1000km into Namibia.
500
What are the main adaptations required by an organism to survive in a kelp forest?
They have to be able to survive in a moving world, as the kelp forest is always in motion. Kelp forests have seasonal storms and grow incredibly fast. Sea urchins have adapted to grazing in herds and destroying the forest though. The kelp forest animals and plants are a community and live in close proximity.
500
What is killing the kelp forests?
Purple Sea Urchins have destroyed kelp forests.
500
What websites did Makena use?
Works Cited
DiLonardo, Mary Jo, and Liz Allen. "12 Unusual Facts about Kelp Forests." Treehugger, 21 Dec. 2021, www.treehugger.com/things-know-about-beautiful-kelp-forests-4863887. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
"Garibaldi." Monterey Bay Aquarium, www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/garibaldi. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
"The Great African Seaforest." Sea Change Project, seachangeproject.com/great-african-seaforest/#:~:text=The%20Great%20African%20Seaforest%20home%20to%20My%20Octopus,stretches%20north%20for%20more%20than%201000km%20into%20Namibia. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
"Kelp Forest." Oceana, oceana.org/marine-life/kelp-forest/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
Weeden, Meaghan. "Kelp Forest Facts: Underwater Forests." One Tree Planted, 3 June 2022, onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/kelp-forest-facts. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
"What Animals Live in Kelp Forests?" American Oceans, www.americanoceans.org/facts/what-animals-live-in-kelp-forests/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
"What Is a Kelp Forest?" National Ocean Service, 1 Jan. 2023, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelp.html#:~:text=Kelp%20forests%20can%20be%20seen%20along%20much%20of,thousands%20of%20fish%2C%20invertebrates%2C%20and%20marine%20mammal%20species. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.