Kelp Forest PhotographsPhotos of Macrocystis pyriferaSee all Macrocystis pyrifera photos |
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| Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00268 | Kelp forest canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02121 | Kelp forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01051 |
| Macrocystis pyrifera kelp forms huge beds along the western coast of North America. Individual kelp plants extend from the rocky reef and sand bottom to the surface, where they grow out and form a canopy. | ||
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| Kelp fronds and forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01497 | A kelp forest, with sunbeams passing through kelp fronds. Giant kelp, the fastest plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky bottom to the ocean's surface like a terrestrial forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02411 | Kelp forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 06092 |
| These kelp beds are home to a rich array of life. Kelp offers protection for prey, a hiding place for predators, and a substrate upon which smaller creatures can grow. The kelp forest is also a magnificent place to dive. Below are pictured a California bat ray (Myliobatis californica), a school of blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis) and a diver amid kelp, all photographed at San Clemente Island, California. The Pacific torpedo ray (Torpedo californica) was photographed at Santa Rosa Island, California. The anemones are living on a Macrocystis stipe, photographed in Monterey, California. Last is shown kelp encrusting bryozoan (Membranipora membranacea) on giant kelp blade, San Clemente Island, California, 1.5 inches. | ||
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| California bat ray in kelp forest, Myliobatis californica, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00267 | Blacksmith amidst kelp forest, Chromis punctipinnis, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Barbara Island, Image 02410 | Proliferating anemone with attached juveniles, growing on kelp stipe, Epiactis prolifera, Image 02478 |
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| A SCUBA diver swims through a giant kelp forest which is tilted back by strong ocean currents. Giant kelp, the fastest plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky bottom to the ocean's surface like a terrestrial forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01107 | Pacific torpedo ray in kelp forest, filming lights, Torpedo californica, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Rosa Island, Image 01009 | Kelp encrusting bryozoan on giant kelp, Membranipora sp, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02540 |
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| Giant kelpfish hiding amidst kelp fronds, Heterostichus rostratus, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01945 | Ocean sunfish schooling near drift kelp, soliciting cleaner fishes, open ocean, Baja California, Mola mola, Image 06392 | Salema schooling amid kelp forest, Xenistius californiensis, Macrocystis pyrifera,, Catalina Island, Image 01022 |
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| Kelp holdfast and substrate, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00622 | Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02118 | Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00602 |
| Kelp plants are anchored to the rocky reef with a holdfast above left). In a dense kelp forest, the rocky reef can hardly be seen beneath the many kelp plants (middle). The holdfast must withstand surge, back and forth water movement caused by large swells passing by (right). | ||
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| Kelp detail showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02497 | Kelp detail, San Diego, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02125 | Kelp detail showing pneumatocysts (air bladders) attached to stipe, San Diego, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02126 |
| Small gas bladders -- pneumatocysts -- connect the kelp's stipes (“stems”) to its blades (“leaves”). | ||
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| Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00628 | Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00627 | Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Barbara Island, Image 02435 |
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| Kelp detail showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 01045 | Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03406 | Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03412 |
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| Kelp plants growing toward surface and spreading to form a canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01293 | Kelp fronds, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01498 | Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00601 |
| These bladders help elevate the kelp plant from the bottom, towards sunlight and the water's surface. New growth occurs at the elevated end of the plant. When it reaches the surface, the kelp plant continues to grow and will spread out at the surface to form a thick canopy. | ||
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| Kelp growing towards the ocean surface, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02500 | Kelp spread over ocean surface to form a canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02129 | Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02123 |
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| Kelp fronds grow upward from the reef below to reach the ocean surface and spread out to form a living canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 07485 | Kelp fronds grow upward from the reef below to reach the ocean surface and spread out to form a living canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 07490 | Boat Horizon above kelp forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03764 |
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| Drift kelp, open ocean, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02501 | Blue shark searching drift kelp for food, open ocean, Prionace glauca, Image 02288 | Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California, Mola mola, Image 03267 |
| Sometimes the kelp's holdfast will fail, and the kelp plant will drift off. It will float at the surface and continue to grow until it is beached or reaches water that is too warm. While drifting in the open ocean, it becomes a gathering point for offshore marine life. Baitfish, flying fish and juvenile fish seek protection amidst drift kelp. Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) approach kelp paddies, hoping to encounter other fishes that will clean them of parasites. Yellowtail (Seriola lalandei dorsalis) and other game fish visit drift kelp looking for smaller fishes to eat. Opportunistic blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and ocean sunfish (Mola mola) can often be found hanging around drift kelp. Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) have been known to play with pieces of drift kelp. Various invertebrates attach to drift kelp, including nudibranchs and barnacles. Even seabirds utilize kelp, such as this diving grebe observed hunting small fish under drift kelp. | ||
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| Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Image 00043 | Ocean sunfish schooling near drift kelp, soliciting cleaner fishes, open ocean, Baja California, Mola mola, Image 06308 | Half-moon perch schooling under offshore drift kelp, open ocean, Medialuna californiensis, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02747 |
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| Lowlying kelps, likely some form of palm kelp, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico [Image 287] [Image 1249] | Tidal zone algae, surfgrasses and kelps, Catalina Island, California, Assorted lowlying kelps, Image 01046 | |
| Other kelps and “grasses” grow in these same waters, too. | ||
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| Surf grass (Phyllospadix sp.), Isla Guadalupe, Mexico [Image 2394] [Image 3736] | ||
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See also: Kelp Forest Video | ||
| Keywords: kelp photo, kelp forest photos, kelp, forest, macrocystis, Macrocystis pyrifera, giant kelp, photography, photograph, algae, marine algae, underwater, wildlife, ocean, marine | ||
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