Ecological Roles Of Giant Kelp

Ecological role of giant kelp: Depending on the fauna species, the ecological role of giant kelp varies from providing food for grazing invertebrates, or hosting fish seeking shelter. Also, Sea otters like to stay around and in the kelp forest looking for sea urchins, their favorite food. The giant kelp forests provide food and habitat for hundreds of species including fish and invertebrate animals that belong to several groups including crustaceans, starfish, mollusks, anemones, sponges and tunicates, and other species in water column. Upon the sinking of the decomposing kelp (detritus) to the depths of the ocean, it provides food for deep sea animals. The shading created by well-established forests of giant kelp would negatively affect understory algae that competes for space with stationary invertebrates, leading to indirectly benefit the mentioned invertebrates.
Eating on the stipes of the plant can destroy a kelp bed. In that regard, the overfishing of apex vertebrate predators such as sea otters (voracious eaters) have repeatedly led to the increase of their prey populations of herbivore grazers such as sea urchin populations leading to higher rate of the deforestation of kelp forests. Human activities have significantly impacted the kelp forests in some regions through hunting marine mammals (in particular sea otters), as well as through pollution. The dumping of sludge, silt or sewage near kelp forests has been reported to cover and destroy the giant kelp especially the microscopic stage of the