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.
Various invertebrates attach to drift kelp, including nudibranchs and barnacles.
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