Broad sandy beaches and rocky shores spotted with tide pools provide seashore recreation, with mild water temperatures and relatively calm seas attracting boaters, surfers, swimmers, divers and anglers. The kelp-forest habitat contains a number of communities varying with depth, each home to a different variety of creatures. Kelp benefits us land-dwellers as well. Dense expanses of kelp protect open coastlines by slowing large ocean sweels. Giant kelp's rapid growth rate and chemical composition also make it commercially viable.
Special vessels cruise over the beds, harvesting the upper four feet of the plant.
As a recreational resource, divers have discovered in the kelp forest a realm of wonder approaching the majesty of terrestrial rain forests. Mexico Mexico's Gulf of California is located near San Diego, placing tropical marine habitats practically at our doorstep. Scripps Institution of Oceanography is recognized worldwide for pioneering research on the fishes of this region. An abundance of life thrives in the warm waters of the Gulf of California, fed by nutrient-rich upwelling currents arising from a trench formed by an extension of the San Andreas Fault. The gulf is home to about 700 species of shallow water fishes, with almost 300 species inhabiting waters along the rocky shores.