Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Catalina Island, California.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37277
Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Catalina Island, California.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37278
Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Catalina Island, California.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37281
Golden gorgonian on underwater rocky reef, amid kelp forest, Catalina Island. The golden gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Each individual polyp is a distinct animal, together they secrete calcium that forms the structure of the colony. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Species: Giant kelp, California golden gorgonian, Macrocystis pyrifera, Muricea californica
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37298
Golden gorgonian on underwater rocky reef, amid kelp forest, Catalina Island. The golden gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Each individual polyp is a distinct animal, together they secrete calcium that forms the structure of the colony. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Species: Giant kelp, California golden gorgonian, Macrocystis pyrifera, Muricea californica
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 37299
Giant Kelp Forest, West End Catalina Island, rendered in the round by a circular fisheye lens.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 38477
Two Giant Black Sea Bass in a Courtship Posture, in Kelp at Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California and form courtship and mating aggregations.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39440
Two Giant Black Sea Bass in a Courtship Posture, in Kelp at Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California and form courtship and mating aggregations.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39441
A giant black sea bass is an endangered species that can reach up to 8 feet in length and 500 pounds, often found amid the giant kelp forest, Once nearly fished to extinction and now thought to be at risk of a genetic bottleneck, the giant sea bass is slowly recovering and can be seen in summer months in California's kelp forests.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39442
Giant Black Sea Bass with Distinctive Identifying Black Spots that allow researchers to carry out sight/resight studies on the animals distributions and growth. Black sea bass can reach 500 pounds and 8 feet in length.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39443
Two Giant Black Sea Bass in a Courtship Posture, in Kelp at Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California and form courtship and mating aggregations.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39444
Underwater Plaque Honoring Jacques Cousteau at the Casino Point Dive Park, Avalon, Catalina Island.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39445
The rare yellow zoanthid anemone Epizoanthus giveni, in large aggregations on the Yellow Wall at Farnsworth Banks, Catalina Island.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39531
The rare yellow zoanthid anemone Epizoanthus giveni, in large aggregations on the Yellow Wall at Farnsworth Banks, Catalina Island.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39532
Purple hydrocoral Stylaster californicus, Farnsworth Banks, Catalina Island, California.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39534
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33447
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33448
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33449
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33450
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33451
Sunlight streams through giant kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky reef to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Species: Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33452
Dive boat Magician and kelp forest. Giant kelp, the fastest growing plant on Earth, reaches from the rocky bottom to the ocean's surface like a submarine forest.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 34165
Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Giant kelp can grow up to 2' in a single day given optimal conditions. Epic submarine forests of kelp grow throughout California's Southern Channel Islands.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 34166
Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Giant kelp can grow up to 2' in a single day given optimal conditions. Epic submarine forests of kelp grow throughout California's Southern Channel Islands.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 34167
Garibaldi and golden gorgonian, bryozoans, with an underwater forest of giant kelp rising in the background, underwater.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 34169
Kelp fronds and pneumatocysts. Pneumatocysts, gas-filled bladders, float the kelp plant off the ocean bottom toward the surface and sunlight, where the leaf-like blades and stipes of the kelp plant grow fastest. Giant kelp can grow up to 2' in a single day given optimal conditions. Epic submarine forests of kelp grow throughout California's Southern Channel Islands.
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 34173