These bladders help elevate the kelp plant from the bottom, towards sunlight and the water s surface. All text and photographs copyright Phillip Colla. All rights reserved worldwide. The content of this site is made available for purposes of researching images offered for license by Phillip Colla. No image is to be copied, duplicated, modified or redistributed in whole or part without the prior written permission of Phillip Colla Photography.
New growth occurs at the elevated end of the plant.
When it reaches the surface, the kelp plant continues to grow and will spread out at the surface to form a thick canopy. In a dense kelp forest, the rocky reef can hardly be seen beneath the many kelp plants. Kelp is constantly in motion, tossed about by currents, swells and, for those plants reaching the surface, the wind. New growth occurs at the tip of the kelp plant, where tiny pneumatocysts form along with new fronds. In the absence of swell and current, kelp plants stand straight up, much like trees in a terrestrial forest.