It's #phycologyfriday! Let's talk #laminaria layering

Just like #Shrek & onions, #kelp forests have a lot of layers

Tiered much like a #rainforest, they have a forest floor, an understory & a canopy

Let's explore! @TheAlgarium @KaptnKelp
#seaweed #kelpforest
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A #kelpforest begins at the seabed, where the holdfast (anchor) of the #kelp attaches to sturdy substrate

This layer is also known as the forest floor, & it houses many #marine organisms!

Tunicates, sponges, anemones, urchins, octopus, crabs, you name it! ⁠

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Climbing the stalk, we end up in the understory, the level between the seafloor & the surface

This is where most of the forest’s hunting activity takes place

Here you find creatures looking for food & mates, as well as some of the shorter kelp species

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At the sea surface is the canopy & just like terrestrial forests, this level is covered with kelp leaves, crawling with bryozoans, crabs, snails, nudibranchs & fish.

The canopy is often used as a nursery for many fish species

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#Kelp forests are incredibly intricate #ecosystems, with lots of room for species both BIG & small... I wonder what other forest friends we will be talking about tomorrow

Can you guess?

#kelpforest #teamseaweed #helpourkelp #algae #phycologyfriday #marine #conservation

Spoiler alert You were all right!

Check out this thread to learn about some of the bigger species that call a #kelpforest home https://twitter.com/themarinediary/status/1380909118798577668?s=20