Observation Hum120 #2
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241598433
For this observation, I took a picture of some bull kelp I saw on a walk. Bull kelp is a marine algae; like other algaes it is a photosynthesizer. Bull kelp anchors itself to the rocks with a rootlike holdfast and can grow up to ~115-130 feet long. The long stem-like part is the stipe. To keep buoyancy in the churning and rough waters the bull kelp has a pneumatocyst; which is a single gas-filled sack. Bull kelp is an annual species, meaning that it develops from a spore to maturity in a year. Photosynthesis occurs in the blades. This species was particularly interesting to me, especially this piece I saw washed up in the intertidal zone. I liked that the blades were intact and splayed over the rocks. Being able to observe and identify the anatomy of the kelp was really fascinating. Kelp in general is often overlooked even though it’s extremely important for coastal ecosystems. Bull kelp shelters small invertebrates and fishes, protects the coastline from rough waves, and is an essential photosynthesizer. Large kelp forests, like mangroves in the lower 48, mitigate the impact of turbulent water. Bull kelp also specifically provides cover for herring eggs, a food source eaten by Tlingit peoples living along the coast. Bull kelp is called sú in Tlingit; strips of sú were used to make anchors, and the large blades could be wrapped around to make storage containers. Overall, bull kelp has a multitude of uses for people and the ecosystems.
Citation:
- Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2024, September 2). kelp. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/kelp
- Goodrich, Bethany Sonsini. “Shared Stewardship.” Patagonia Stories, 5 Oct. 2022, www.patagonia.com/stories/shared-stewardship/story-124811.html#:~:text=Before%20colonization%2C%20the%20stipes%20of,foods%20like%20eulachon%20fish%20oil.