Kelp is a seaweed that grows along the ocean floor. When encountering kelp during a scuba dive, it can seem like you are swimming through a forest of tall, flowing plants. Alex is a diver who uses an underwater propulsion device to explore the ocean near Monterey, California. On a recent scuba dive, the beauty of a kelp forest caught his attention.
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If you eat sushi, you have probably had kelp. It is used frequently as a wrap for the rice logs that are sliced for the delicacy. The brown seaweed grows wild in many parts of our oceans. Because it is an excellent alternative to salads, it is also farmed commercially for food.
Whether you eat kelp or not, encountering an entire forest during a scuba dive is mesmerizing. The gentle sway of the tall plants, as currents move through, can be soothing and relaxing. Kelp is an entire underwater ecosystem.
A scuba diver might see snails, starfish, and other invertebrates along the ocean floor in a kelp forest. Jellyfish may float among the strands. Various rockfish swim through the gently swaying strands of vegetation, including blue, black, and olive.
Marine vegetation provides a source of nutrition for sealife and protects seals, sea otters, and sea lions from predators like the killer whale. The animals and the vegetation have a symbiotic relationship. The sea otter that hides from bad weather and sharks within the stalks of a kelp forest loves to snack on red sea urchins. This relationship is significant because red sea urchins can devastate a kelp forest.
No wonder a scuba diver pauses within a kelp forest to enjoy a moment in an almost perfect world.
Please share if you would enjoy undersea adventures.
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