Kelp forest pieces on shore, San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, California
Kelp forests grow along rocky coastlines in depths of about 2 m to more than 30 m. Kelp favors nutrient-rich, cool waters that range in temperature from 5oC to 20oC. These brown algae communities live in clear water conditions through which light penetrates easily. Kelp recruits most successfully in regions of upwelling (regions where the ocean layers overturn, bringing cool, nutrient-rich bottom waters to the surface) and regions with continuously cold, high-nutrient waters.
Year: 2015
From album: Californian Marine Reserves
Photographer: Peter Prokosch