Environmental Concerns

Kelp Forests are threatened by many different species around them. Luckily though, they are able to help combat these threats with the help of their rapid growth rates. Specific species that target kelp and are even able to consume an entire forest are what are known as "marine grazers". Examples of these marine grazers are sea urchins and different fish populations. Fortunately for the kelp forests, predators to grazers like marine mammals and invertebrates help limit overpopulation of grazers which, in turn, means more kelp growth. If it were not for these predators, kelp forests would be at an extremely high rate of complete destruction.

Pollution is extremely harmful towards kelp forests, and sewage, industrial waste, inorganic fertilizers, and pesticides that are carried from freshwater runoff are detrimental to kelp growth and reproduction. Because kelp requires cold water in order to grow, warm water temperatures caused from global warming are a big threat to kelp survival.

Even small changes in environmental concerns can lead to potential ecosystem collapse. For example, the kelp forest ecosystem in Monterey Bay reached a tipping point with the endangerment of Sea Otters. Sea Otters were a keystone species in the kelp forest, as they help maintain the environment by consuming Sea Urchin populations (the main consumers of kelp). Without the presence of Sea Otters, Sea Urchin populations grow uncontrollably and severely limit kelp growth within their ecosystem.

"Impacts on Kelp Forests." Impacts on Kelp Forests | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Accessed January 09, 2017. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/ecosystems/kelpimpacts.html.

"Threats to Kelp Forests." NOAA Fisheries. Accessed January 09, 2017. http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/habitat/habitat_types/kelp_forest_info/kelp_forest_threats.html.