growing tall.........................................................65 producers on land

KKKKKelp Felp Felp Felp Felp Forest Forest Forest Forest Forest Field Notesield Notesield Notesield Notesield Notes ......................................62......................................62......................................62......................................62......................................62

Searching for More in a KSearching for More in a KSearching for More in a KSearching for More in a KSearching for More in a Kelp Felp Felp Felp Felp Forestorestorestorestorest ..................65..................65..................65..................65..................65

Growing Tall.........................................................65

Producers on Land and in the Sea.....................66

Take a Dive ..........................................................66

Do You Eat Kelp?.................................................67

Leaf Rubbing Note Cards...................................67

Kelp Forest Crossword Puzzle............................68

Sea Otter Coloring Sheet....................................70

KKKKKelp Felp Felp Felp Felp Forest Forest Forest Forest Forest Field Guideield Guideield Guideield Guideield Guide .....................................71.....................................71.....................................71.....................................71.....................................71

62

What is aWhat is aWhat is aWhat is aWhat is aKKKKKelp Felp Felp Felp Felp Forest?orest?orest?orest?orest?

Giant kelp plants form submarineforests in the cool waters of many ofthe world�s oceans. Extensive forestsgrow along the Pacific coast of NorthAmerica. Beautiful, biologically complexcommunities, they provide food andshelter for a rich array of plants andanimals. They�re also a very importanteconomic and recreational resource forfishermen and drivers in places likeMonterey Bay, California.

During World War I, California kelpforests were harvested as a source ofpotash for gunpowder. Today, giant kelpis harvested for a gel called algin. Alginis used in many products includingfoods like ice cream, pharmaceuticalssuch as tablets (to help them dissolve)and cosmetics and clothing (to keepthe color dyes from bleeding).Between 100,000 and 170,000 tonsof giant kelp are harvested annuallyin California.

terminal blade

canopy

stipe

blade

float

sporophyll

holdfast

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Giant kelp grows best in areas with rocky bottoms,plenty of light and enough water motion to keepnutrients circulating around the plant. Interactionswith other organisms also affect where kelp grows.First, kelp must compete with plants and animalsfor space to settle and grow. Then, as it growstoward the surface, kelp competes with nearbyplants for light. At all stages of its life, kelp mustsurvive being grazed by sea urchins, abalones, otherinvertebrates and some fishes.

The giant kelp plantThe giant kelp plantThe giant kelp plantThe giant kelp plantThe giant kelp plant

Kelp refers to large brown algae in the divisionPhaeophyta. Like other algae, giant kelp has nottrue roots, stems, leaves or flowers. A single frondcan live for more than six months.

The huge plants you see in the bay are only half ofthe kelp�s life cycle. These large plants, calledsporophytes, release spores that swim to the bot-tom and grow into tiny male and female plants(gametophytes) which carry out the other half ofthe cycle. The tiny male plants release sperm thatfertilize the female�s eggs. The resulting embryosgrow into huge giant kelp plants (sporophytes) andthe cycle begins again. It takes about a year for thekelp to complete the reproductive cycle.

A male gametophyte releases sperm thatfertilize egg cells on the female gameto-

phyte. Once fertilized, the egg cell growsinto a young sporophyte, and a new

generation begins.

sperm

young sporophyte

female gametophyte

egg cell

male gametophyte

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The kelp forestThe kelp forestThe kelp forestThe kelp forestThe kelp forestcommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunity

A kelp forest has a greatervariety and higher density ofplants and animals than almostany other ocean community. Thisis largely beause its complex physicalstructure offers more kinds of homes thanhomogeneous areas like beaches. Like trees,kelp plants provide a variety of living spaces. Someorganisms swim in the canopy, and others live onthe fronds, between the stipes or in the holdfast.

Another reason this community is rich anddiverse is that kelp is an abundant, continuoussource of food. Some animals, like turban snails,graze directly on the growing plant, but manyanimals (like abalones, sea urchins and bat stars)feed on detached fronds that have drifted to thebottom. Drift kelp that isn�t eaten is decomposedby bacteria into small particles called detritus. Thedetritus is filtered from the water by filter-feeders,like sponges, or ingested from the sediment bydeposit-feeders, like some sea cucumbers. In turn,many of these animals are eaten by predatorsincluding crabs, rockfishes and sea stars.

About 90 percent of the kelp produced in theforest each year ends up on the beach or in deepwater. Only about 10 percent gets eaten withinthe kelp forest itself.

Adaptations for kelp forest life Adaptations for kelp forest life Adaptations for kelp forest life Adaptations for kelp forest life Adaptations for kelp forest life

All kelp forest plants and animals have similar basic needs: they must find food, reproduce, avoid being eaten and adjust to the physical environment. We study characteristics like mouthparts, shape and locomotion to tell what such adaptations are for and what role (producer, predator, herbivore or planktivore) the plant or animal plays in the community.

Look at the illustrations of animals in the Kelp Forest Field Guide. A sea ottter�s sleek body is adapted to move through the water. What about the orange sea cucumber? A planktivore, its finelydivided tentacles are adapted to filter plankton anddetritus from the water; the soft body is adapted tofit into rocky cracks and crevices.

Making similar studies of other kelp forest plantsand animals will help you understand the rolesand relationships of organisms in the kelp forestcommunity.

Sea cucumber

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remaining two plants in the sun, but only waterthem half as much as the other plants. Measureyour plants and record their heights on a graph.Which plants grow faster? Why? What otherexperiments could you try? (Remember to guesswhat will happen first, then try the experiment toprove or disprove your guess.) What do your beanplants need to survive? (They need sunlight, water,nutrients, protection from bad weather.) What doyou think an ocean plant like giant kelp needs tosurvive? What parts of the plant fulfill these needs?

How is a kelp forest similar to a forest on land?How is it different? How are trees important to theinhabitants of a forest? How is kelp important tothe inhabitants of a kelp forest?

M A T E R I A L S� Six containers or

cups (the bottoms

of milk cartons work

great)

� Potting soil

� Bean seeds

� Graph paper

� Measuring cup

� Pencil

Grow bean seeds underdifferent conditions tosee when plants growbest. Take a guessbefore you start yourexperiment: do youthink seeds grow bestwith lots of sunlight orlittle sunlight? Howmuch water helps plantsgrow tallest? Nowexperiment to find out!

With the help of an adult, use a pencil to poke ahole in the bottom of each container. Fill thecontainers with equal amounts of soil, then plantthe bean seeds according to the directions onthe package. Plant each seed at the same depthand in the same position.Give them each ameasured amount ofwater . . . enoughso that a few dropsof water drain outthe hole.

Put two of your bean plantsin a dark room and two in asunlit room. Give these fourplants the measuredamount of water duringtheir growth. Put the

Growing TGrowing TGrowing TGrowing TGrowing Tallallallallall

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PPPPProducers on Lroducers on Lroducers on Lroducers on Lroducers on Landandandandandand in the Seaand in the Seaand in the Seaand in the Seaand in the Sea

Take a walk in yourbackyard, school yardor through a park.Draw a map of the area,then draw a producer(plant), herbivore(plant-eater), carnivore

(meat-eater), scavenger and decomposer that livethere. On another sheet of paper, draw a picture ofa kelp forest with aproducer (kelp), herbivore (sea urchin), carnivore(sea otter), scavenger (crab) and decomposer(bacteria). Compare your two food chains. Whathappens to an ecosystem when its food chain isdisrupted? What kinds of things disrupt foodchains and webs? What can you do to helpprevent these disruptions from taking place?

TTTTTakakakakake a Drivee a Drivee a Drivee a Drivee a Drive

Pretend you�re scubadiving in a kelp forest.Write and illustrate a logof what you see and doduring your dive.

M A T E R I A L S� Two sheets of

paper

� Pencil

M A T E R I A L S� Favorite drawing

materials

� Paper

Sun

Abalone

Kelp

Sea urchin

Sea otter

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LLLLLeaf Rubbing Note Cardseaf Rubbing Note Cardseaf Rubbing Note Cardseaf Rubbing Note Cardseaf Rubbing Note Cards

M A T E R I A L S� A variety of leaves, grasses and fern fronds

� Paper, folded in half or cut in half and folded in

quarters to make note cards

� Crayons with the paper peeled off

� Newspaper

Collect avariety of leaves. Lookfor large ones and smallones, wide ones and skinny ones, pointed ones andround ones. Layer the newspapers on your workarea; the more you have, the better your rubbingswill look. Place the leaves on the newspaper andlay your note card paper on top. Using the side of acrayon (instead of the pointed ends), rub over theleaf. Create designs by using different leaves and byrubbing hard in some places and gently in others.When you�re done, return the leaves to your yard.Compare your leaves to the illustration of the giantkelp plant on page 62. How are the plants thesame? How are they different?

Do YDo YDo YDo YDo You Eat Kou Eat Kou Eat Kou Eat Kou Eat Kelp?elp?elp?elp?elp?

Did you know that you probably eat kelp and otherseaweeds? On your next visit to the market, lookfor products with ingredients like algin, alginicacid, carageenan and nori. If you need help gettingstarted, look at the ingredients in toothpaste, icecream and puddings. What are other ways peopleuse kelp? (People use kelp for commercialproducts, sport fishing in kelp forests, diving,harvesting and industrial products.)

What�s the difference between a renewable resourceand a non-renewable resource? Are kelpforests renewable or non-renewable? (Kelpgrows very quickly and is a renewableresource.) Since kelp is renewable, doesthat mean we can harvest asmuch as we want?What are somenon-renewableresources?(Oil is anon-renewableresource.) Doyou think peopleshould rely onnon-renewableresources? What arethe alternatives?

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KKKKKelp Felp Felp Felp Felp Forest Crossword Porest Crossword Porest Crossword Porest Crossword Porest Crossword Puzzleuzzleuzzleuzzleuzzle

ACROSSACROSSACROSSACROSSACROSS4. of the sea5. how barnacles eat6. scientific name of giant kelp10. an animal that kills and eats animals12. where a plant or animal lives13. decorator crabs are bottom-dwelling, or______14. the top layer of the kelp forest15. all of the plants and animals living in a specificarea16. a spiny sea _______ lives at the bottom of thekelp forest18. a kelp stipe and the attached blades19. an animal without a backbone24. abbreviation for self-contained underwaterbreathing apparatus25. how green plants use sunlight to produce food28. the part of the seaweed that attaches it to theseafloor29. a large flat snail that eats kelp and is a preferredprey of sea otters30. the name of simple non-seed-bearing plants

DOWNDOWNDOWNDOWNDOWN1. an animal that is killed and eaten by a predator2. the leaflike part of a seaweed3. _________________ seaweed: a piece of seaweedthat has broken its attachment and floats freelywith the ocean currents7. a characteristic (body part, behavior or other)that helps a plant or animal survive8. many hermit crabs live in empty __________________shells

9. a predatory crustacean11. organism that causes the decay of dead plantand animal matter17. SCUBA ________: a person adapted tospend time under water20. of the land21. marine mammals found in the kelp forests offthe coast of Monterey22. the minerals giant kelp needs for growth(singular)23. life forms that produce their own food throughphotosynthesis24. common name for large ocean plants25. tiny plants and animals that swim weakly ordrift with ocean currents26. any of the large brown seaweeds, likeMacrocystis27. common sea star found in kelp forests

© M O N T E R E Y B A Y A Q U A R I U Mhttp://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/activities/critter_cards.asp

Critter Cards - Kelp Forest

Bat star

Bat starAsterina miniata [size: to 8 in. (20 cm)]

Bat stars live on the kelp forest floor. They eatseaweeds and small animals, and scavenge deadanimals on the seafloor A bat star's stomachcomes out of its mouth and covers its food to eat.The stomach can feel around on the seafloor forbits of food.

1 - 4

Blue rockfish

Blue rockfishSebastes mystinus [size: to 21 in. (53 cm)]

Schools of blue rockfish swim among the kelpplants. Sport fishers often catch these fish, butthey must be careful when they do: rock fisheshave poisonous spines on some of their fins.

Blue rockfish eat small floating animals, likeshrimp and jellies.

Brown turban snail

Brown turban snailTegula brunnea [size: to 1 in. (2.5 cm)]

Brown turban snails live on kelp plants, mostoften on the upper blades. Predators like the seastar live on the seafloor below, so the turban snailis safer up high in the canopy.

Kelp provides lunch as well as a living-place forthe turban snail. The snails rasp away the algaewith their filelike tongues.



Cabezon

CabezonScorpaenichthys marmoratus[size: to 3.25 ft. (99 cm)]

Like their relatives, the small tidepool sculpins,cabezons live on the bottom in rocky areas.When they sit still, their waving fins and mottledcolor blend in with the surrounding seaweed.

Cabezons eat invertebrates like crabs and snails,and some fishes. They swallow abalones whole,then spit out the shells. "Cabezon" means"big head" in Spanish. This fish has a big mouth, too—it can gulp large prey.

2 - 4

California sheephead

California sheepheadSemicossyphus pulcher [size: to 3 ft. (91 cm)]

Sheephead swim above rocky areas. These fishare all born female, but turn into males whenthey grow to about 12 inches. They also turncolor, from red to red-and-black with white chins.

Sheephead eat snails, crabs, urchins and othershellfish. They're good to eat, so divers oftencatch them.

Decorator crab

Decorator crabLoxorhynchvs crispatus [size: to 3.5 in. (8.8 cm)]

A decorator crab camouflages its shell with algae,sponges and other things that grow on localrocks. When the crab sheds the shell for a newone, it has to redecorate. Often, the crab willtransfer material from the old shell to the new.

Decorator crabs eat algae, sea urchins, smallcrustaceans and sponges.



Sea otter

Sea otterEnhydra lutris [size: to 5.5 ft. (1.7 m)]

For warmth, the sea otter relies on its thick furcoat with 600,000 hairs per square inch. The otterspends nearly half its waking hours grooming itsfur coat to keep it waterproof.

The otter dives for shellfish, then eats lying on itsback at the surface. Because it consumes abalonesand crabs, the otter sometimes competes withpeople for food.

4 - 4

Spiny brittle star

Spiny brittle starOphiothrix spiculata [size: to 5.7 in. (14.4 cm)]

Brittle stars hide among rocks and in the rootlikekelp holdfasts, anchored into cracks by their longspines. Their delicate arms break easily, but alsogrow back quickly.

Brittle stars catch suspended food particles bywaving their arms through the water. Small tubefeet on each arm transfer the food to the mouth.

Sea cucumber

Sea cucumberParastichopus californicus [size: to 16 in. (40 cm)]

Sea cucumbers creep slowly across the kelp forestfloor. Relatives of the sea stars, they use hundredsof tiny suction cup feet called "tube feet" to move.

The tentacles around a sea cucumber's mouth arealso a type of tube foot. The sea cucumberbrushes the tentacles across the seafloor as itmoves, collecting organic particles and stuffingthem into its mouth.

growing tall.........................................................65 producers on land

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