How would increasingly frequent ocean storms affect the biodiversity of undersea kelp forests?
Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) and the University of California, Santa Barbara, report that more frequent storms could dramatically change the sea life along the California coast.
The findings appear this week in the journal Ecology.
How would increasingly frequent ocean storms affect the biodiversity of undersea kelp forests?
Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) and the University of California, Santa Barbara, report that more frequent storms could dramatically change the sea life along the California coast.
The findings appear this week in the journal Ecology.
"The frequency of disturbance was the most important factor influencing kelp forest biodiversity," said lead researcher Max Castorani, an environmental scientist at UVA. "The severity of disturbance played a more minor role."
Long-term research important
"It's significant that the severity and the frequency of disturbances influence kelp bed communities in different ways," said David Garrison, a director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, which funded the study. "We need long-term research to predict what kelp bed communities will look like in the future, and what ecosystem services, such as fisheries, they will be able to provide."
Read more at National Science Foundation
Image: The loss of kelp forests from destructive storms decreases habitat for species like this kelp crab. CREDIT: Ron McPeak
