Kelp Pictures

Pictures of Kelp photos
See all Macrocystis pyrifera photos


Kelp photo, Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00268	Kelp photo, Kelp forest canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02121	Kelp photo, 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.

Kelp photo, Kelp fronds and forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01497	Kelp photo, 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 photo, 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.

Kelp photo, California bat ray in kelp forest, Myliobatis californica, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00267	Kelp photo, Blacksmith amidst kelp forest, Chromis punctipinnis, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Barbara Island, Image 02410	Kelp photo, Proliferating anemone with attached juveniles, growing on kelp stipe, Epiactis prolifera, Image 02478

Kelp photo, 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	Kelp photo, Pacific torpedo ray in kelp forest, filming lights, Torpedo californica, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Rosa Island, Image 01009	Kelp photo, Kelp encrusting bryozoan on giant kelp, Membranipora sp, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02540

Kelp photo, Giant kelpfish hiding amidst kelp fronds, Heterostichus rostratus, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01945	Kelp photo, Ocean sunfish schooling near drift kelp, soliciting cleaner fishes, open ocean, Baja California, Mola mola, Image 06392	Kelp photo, Salema schooling amid kelp forest, Xenistius californiensis, Macrocystis pyrifera,, Catalina Island, Image 01022

Kelp photo, Kelp holdfast and substrate, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00622	Kelp photo, Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02118	Kelp photo, 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).

Kelp photo, Kelp detail showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02497	Kelp photo, Kelp detail, San Diego, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02125	Kelp photo, 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�).

Kelp photo, Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00628	Kelp photo, Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 00627	Kelp photo, Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, Santa Barbara Island, Image 02435

Kelp photo, Kelp detail showing pneumatocysts, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 01045	Kelp photo, Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03406	Kelp photo, Kelp frond showing pneumatocysts (air bladders), Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03412

Kelp photo, Kelp plants growing toward surface and spreading to form a canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01293	Kelp photo, Kelp fronds, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 01498	Kelp photo, 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.

Kelp photo, Kelp growing towards the ocean surface, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02500	Kelp photo, Kelp spread over ocean surface to form a canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02129	Kelp photo, Kelp canopy, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 02123

Kelp photo, 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 photo, 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	Kelp photo, Boat Horizon above kelp forest, Macrocystis pyrifera, San Clemente Island, Image 03764

Kelp photo, Drift kelp, open ocean, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02501	Kelp photo, Blue shark searching drift kelp for food, open ocean, Prionace glauca, Image 02288	Kelp photo, 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.

Kelp photo, Pacific white sided dolphin carrying drift kelp, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Image 00043	Kelp photo, Ocean sunfish schooling near drift kelp, soliciting cleaner fishes, open ocean, Baja California, Mola mola, Image 06308	Kelp photo, Half-moon perch schooling under offshore drift kelp, open ocean, Medialuna californiensis, Macrocystis pyrifera, Image 02747

Lowlying kelps, likely some form of palm kelp, Isla Guadalupe, MexicoImage 287 Image 1249		Kelp photo, Assorted lowlying kelps, Catalina Island, Image 01046
Other kelps and �grasses� grow in these same waters, too.

Surf grass (Phyllospadix sp.), Isla Guadalupe, MexicoImage 2394 Image 3736
See also: Kelp Forest Video
Keywords: kelp picture, kelp forest, kelp photo, giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, picture, photography, photograph, underwater
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