The Great African Sea Forest

About the Great African Sea Forest

The Great African Sea Forest resembles an astounding underwater jungle and is one of the most productive ecosystems worldwide. Kelp forests are found in cold, nutrient-dense oceans and border one-third of the earth's coastlines. The Kelp (algae) itself is a powerful agent against climate change owing to its super power of carbon sequestration.

Biology

Physical Traits

• There are three types of algae: Red, Green, and Brown. Kelp is considered Brown Algae (algae is interchangeable with the term seaweed).

• Kelp has three primary structures: The holdfast (similar to a plants root system), the stipe (comparable to a stem), and the blades (parallel to leaves).
• Sea Bamboo, the kelp species most prominent in the great african sea forest, floats owing to its hollow stipe and strong yet flexible structure that can withstand strong ocean currents and rough sea conditions.

Reproduction

• The reproduction process of the Kelp Forest is known as the 'Alteration of Generations'. It is a process where an adult plant produces spores and emits them into the ocean.
• The spores grow into female and male spores and come together to produce "sporophytes" (baby kelps, if you will), which anchor themselves to the sea floor and grow into giant Kelps.

Viability

Threats and Climate Change

• Some Kelp forests are exposed to increased temperatures, deep sea mining, habitat destruction, pollution, and (or) coastal erosion. Different scales and combinations of these threats, and how they interact, shape and determine the state of the sea forests and how they will respond to change. This is why nearly one-third of the kelp forests are growing while one-third are deteriorating.
• Kelp Forests also play a crucial role in combating climate change. Through a mechanism known as Carbon Sequestration, the Kelp Forest captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently than terrestrial Forests.

Conservation Status

• In South Africa, the sea forests are thriving. Owing to the change in wind patterns, there is an increase in productive upwelling. The upwelling drives productivity and therefore underpins a more productive ecosystem.
• Kelp forests in Australia (specifically on the coasts of Tasmania) are extremely depleted, as only 5% remain.

Current Research

• Evidence suggests that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other methods of area-based management are productive methods to protect Kelp Forests.
• In Kelp forests that are deteriorating, artificial seeds and kelp implants are being used to stimulate growth. In addition, there have also been calls for grazer removals (removing species that feed on kelp, such as sea urchins, fish,or abalone) and altering fishery regulations to improve Kelp Health.