Some 60 miles from Los Angeles lies a haven for ocean plants and animals. For a chilly month last winter, photographer Jeff Rotman explored this world of sea urchins and other fantastic creatures. Text by Deborah Knight Imagine swimming through a forest-an underwater forest.
Giant kelp rises to the distant surface.
Orange garibaldi fish stare with their downcast eyes. Below, the kelp weaves its holdfasts over rocks, gripping them like an iron fist. Empty lobster shells litter the bottom, molted like outgrown shirts. Outside the reserve, the picture changes. In some areas the kelp is gone, and with it the crowded house of life.