These kelp beds are home to a rich array of life. Kelp offers protection for prey, a hiding place for predators, and a substrate upon which smaller creatures can grow. The kelp forest is also a magnificent place to dive. The anemones are living on a Macrocystis stipe, photographed in Monterey, California. These bladders help elevate the kelp plant from the bottom, towards sunlight and the water s surface.
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. Sometimes the kelp s holdfast will fail, and the kelp plant will drift off. It will float at the surface and continue to grow until it is beached or reaches water that is too warm. While drifting in the open ocean, it becomes a gathering point for offshore marine life. Baitfish, flying fish and juvenile fish seek protection amidst drift kelp.