The Great Kelp Forest

The Great Kelp Forest

Species

Several aggregating anemones clustered on a rocky tidepool surface, their tentacles spread open among small shells and bits of algae

Aggregating Anemone

A cluster of articulated coralline algae with pinkish-red, branching fronds growing on a rocky underwater surface alongside small snails.

Articulated Coralline Algae

An orange bat star resting on a rocky tidepool surface above seaweed and an anemone

Bat Star

A black abalone with a dark, oval shell resting on a rocky, algae-covered tidepool surface, its muscular foot slightly visible along the shell’s edge

Black Abalone

A close-up view of many small black turban snails clustered together on wet rocks, showing their dark spiral shells with lighter tips.

Black Turban Snail

A large school of blue rockfish swims through sunlit underwater kelp forest waters, their blue-gray bodies tightly grouped as they move together.

Blue Rockfish

A blueband hermit crab emerging from a black-and-white snail shell on a rocky tidepool surface, its red antennae and blue-banded legs visible

Blueband Hermit Crab

Clusters of brown sea palm algae with tall, palm-like fronds stand upright on wave-swept rocky shoreline, their stems anchored tightly to the rock.

Brown Sea Palm

Long strands of bull kelp with thick stems and tangled golden-brown blades lie washed up on a rocky shoreline beside crashing ocean waves and offshore rocks.

Bull Kelp

A dense cluster of California mussels attached to a rocky surface in the intertidal zone, exposed at low tide.

California Mussels

Close-up view of feather boa kelp draped across coastal rocks, showing long, dark brown fronds with many small blades lining each side.

Feather Boa Kelp

A giant green anemone with bright green tentacles arranged in a circular pattern around its center, resting on a pink and sandy tidepool surface.

Giant Green Anemone

Dense floating mass of giant kelp fronds drifting at the ocean surface, showing long brown blades and interwoven strands.

Giant Kelp

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Lined Shore Crab

Close-up underwater image of a purple sea urchin with long spines resting on a rocky, algae-covered ocean floor.

Purple Sea Urchin

Close-up view of rock weed, a brown intertidal algae with flat, branching fronds and small, air-filled bladders, attached to coastal rocks.

Rock Weed

A rough limpet clings to a wet, brown rock surface in the intertidal zone. Its oval, ribbed shell is brown and white, blending into the textured rock around it.

Rough Limpet

A bright yellow sea lemon nudibranch with a bumpy, textured surface rests on a rocky, algae-covered tide pool floor. Its frilly gills are visible near the back of its body.

Sea Lemon

Bright green sea lettuce algae growing in shallow intertidal pools among rocks, with sunlight reflecting off the water.

Sea Lettuce

A dense mat of long, bright green blades of surf grass grows among brown and red seaweed in the shallow intertidal zone, with water flowing gently over the plants.

Surf Grass

Videos

Bull Kelp Bliss

Point Lobos SNR-El bosque escondido Un cuento del bosque del mar