Ecology of giant kelp forests in California: a community profile

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5129110

Foster, M S; Schiel, D R

Giant kelp forests are marine communities dominated by the large brown alga, Macrocystis pyrifera. In the northern hemisphere, stands of this species occur along the outer coast of the eastern Pacific from near Santa Cruz in central California to the central coast of Baja California, Mexico. Plants are usually attached to rocky substrata at depths of 5 to 20 m. These submarine forests are probably the most species-rich, structurally complex and productive communities in temperate waters. This profile reviews the relevant literature (over 400 citations) describing M. pyrifera, the organisms associated with it, the interactions among these organisms, and environmental factors that affect the distribution and structure of the community. The state of our knowledge about giant kelp forests is summarized, and suggestions are made for future research and management. 31 figs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: San Jose State Univ., Moss Landing, CA (USA). Moss Landing Marine Labs.
• OSTI ID: 5129110
• Report Number(s): FWS/OBS-85(7.2); ON: TI86900095
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520100* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALGAE
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CALIFORNIA
COASTAL WATERS
COMMUNITIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
REVIEWS
SEAWEEDS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
SURFACE WATERS
USA