Kelp Forests - Scottish Natural Heritage

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Cuvie forest Red seaweed Drachiella spectabilis Jewel anemones
Descending deeper into the sea, the motion of the kelp plants becomes more gentle and the noise of breaking waves near the surface recedes. It also becomes darker, as sea water absorbs more and more of the surface light. The kelp forest grades imperceptibly into kelp park. Here the kelp plants are more widely scattered, and individual plants are smaller, with shorter stipes and thinner blades. 18 <strong>Kelp</strong> parks <strong>Kelp</strong> parks support an extraordinary variety of animals and seaweeds, with a wide range of species and growth forms. The absence of a dense, shading canopy of kelp fronds permits the development of lush meadows of waving red seaweeds including sea beech, Delesseria sanguinea, and Hypoglossum hypoglossoides. This algal carpet provides a living substrate for encrusting sea mats, and for small crustaceans, worms and molluscs. The number of animal species in the kelp park is, if anything, greater than the number in the kelp forest, especially on the rock surface. In some shaded areas several square metres of bedrock may be covered by single species or mixed associations of sea anemones, sea squirts, sponges or erect sea mats and sea firs. In other areas the tortuously twisted limy tubes made by the keel worm, Pomatoceros triqueter, may cover the sea bed. The solitary Devonshire cup-coral, Caryophyllia smithii, is also frequently found. Mobile animals of the kelp park (which may also be found in the forest above) include the spiny starfish, Marthasterias glacialis, which can grow up to 60cm across, the spectacular 10 or 12-armed common sunstar, Crossaster papposus, and several crab species such as the spider crab, Hyas araneus. The feather star, Antedon bifida, congregates on vertical rock surfaces and the kelp stipes. In areas the kelp park, like the kelp forest, is heavily grazed, and the variety of associated animals and seaweeds is much reduced. The only animals visible on the sea bed are grazers, particularly sea urchins and molluscs, with occasional patches of brittlestars. The luxuriant seaweed growth of the ungrazed kelp park is replaced by thin, encrusting films which look like stains on the seabed.
Page 1 and 2: Kelp Forests: SCOTLAND’S LIVING L
Page 3 and 4: Other books in the series: Coasts M
Page 5 and 6: First published in 1999 by Scottish
Page 7 and 8: Sea urchins grazing kelp frond
Page 9 and 10: Kelp holdfast and stipe with feathe
Page 11 and 12: Kelps occur at and below low-tide l
Page 13 and 14: Dense cuvie forest
Page 15 and 16: A second important function of both
Page 17 and 18: Scottish kelp plants Five kelp spec
Page 19 and 20: Light - the critical factor Light i
Page 21 and 22: Oarweed forests Butterfish, fanworm
Page 23 and 24: Also present on the kelp blades is
Page 25: Cuvie forests At around 1m below lo
Page 29 and 30: 20 Beyond the kelp zone In the dark
Page 31 and 32: Seals above the kelp forest canopy
Page 33 and 34: Lumpsucker amongst cuvie stipes fes
Page 35 and 36: In recent times several thousand to
Page 37 and 38: Afterword The brown, sunlight-dappl
Page 39: Also from SNH... Landscape Fashione

Kelp Forests - Scottish Natural Heritage

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