Beneath the CanopyA diver's transect / California kelp forest

A forest.
Upside down
in the light.

From the floating canopy to the rocky holdfast, every depth has its own company. Select a species to meet a neighbor.

Surface5 m10 m15 m

Giant kelp

Macrocystis pyrifera

Gas-filled floats lift the blades toward sunlight. Below, a branching holdfast grips the rock rather than drawing nutrients from soil. The whole water column becomes habitat.

Field note: follow one stipe from canopy to holdfast.
Look for: small animals sheltering among the branches.