Marine heat waves threaten kelp forests

Carbon emissions threaten marine species

No one had great expectations about the outcome of discussions on climate change at the recent G8 summit of the world's wealthiest nations in Scotland, and the modest resulting statement did little to reassure researchers that the topic is being taken as seriously as many feel it demands. " At the heart of the communique is a disappointing failure by the leaders of the G8 unequivocally to recog...

Spatial synchrony of amphipods in giant kelp forests

Spatial patterns of invertebrate settlement in giant kelp forests

Settlement of kelp-associated organisms may vary as they are delivered to (and through) giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests, with implications for local population dynamics and community structure. Previous work suggests that settlement of invertebrates with long pelagic durations would be reduced as they move from an offshore environment toward the interior of kelp forests due to dampene...

Long photoperiods sustain high pH in Arctic kelp forests

Concern on the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifiers, such as bivalves, sea urchins, and foraminifers, has led to efforts to understand the controls on pH in their habitats, which include kelp forests and seagrass meadows. The metabolism of these habitats can lead to diel fluctuation in pH with increases during the day and declines at night, suggesting no net effect on pH at time scales ...

The role of kelp crabs as consumers in bull kelp forests—evidence from laboratory feeding trials and field enclosures

The Northern kelp crab (Pugettia producta) and the graceful kelp crab (Pugettia gracilis) are common primary consumers in bull kelp beds near the San Juan Islands (Salish Sea, NE Pacific). In this system, urchins (often considered the most voracious herbivores exerting top-down control on kelp beds) tend to remain sedentary because of the high availability of detrital macroalgae, but the extent...