Habitat creation
Seaweed is essential for life in the sea to thrive, creating food and habitat for a huge range of marine organisms.
Seaweed is essential for life in the sea to thrive, creating food and habitat for a huge range of marine organisms.
Kelp are large brown seaweeds, which can form underwater forests in deeper colder waters like ours. They provide food and shelter, as well as a breeding ground for 100s of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals.
Within the corners and crevices of a kelp holdfast (the root-like bit that attaches to rocks, see photo on left) are found creatures like brittle stars, molluscs, anemones, worms and sea squirts (best name ever).
Other underwater seaweeds can provide habitat too. In shallower waters, seaweeds are exposed in between high and low tide. They can also be eaten or used as shelter by crustaceans, birds, insects....before the tide comes in and covers them up again.
On the high tide line, broken off seaweed can be left for long enough to form a whole new on-land habitat. Insects, crustaceans, bacterias - all sorts of things find shelter and thrive here. Albeit sometimes stinky.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/marine/kelp-beds-and-forests
More from Livelihood category…
