How are kelp forests important to humans?

How are kelp forests important to humans?

Economic Importance Kelp forests provide a variety of commercial and ecosystem services to humans. In addition to algin, kelp is a component in some fertilizers, a healthy ingredient in food, and a potential alternative energy source. The habitat itself provides humans with many benefits known as ecosystem services.

Why is kelp important to us?

Kelp is used to make many products: toothpastes, shampoos, salad dressings, puddings, cakes, dairy products, frozen foods, and even pharmaceuticals. Kelp forests are extremely biologically productive habitats for a huge range of sea creatures including fish, urchins, sea otters, sea lions, and even some whales.

What does kelp do for the ecosystem?

Kelp forests are the anchor of nearshore ocean wildlife communities across the U.S. West Coast and northeast, sustaining marine biodiversity by providing shelter, habitat and even food for an array of fish and invertebrates.

What is a kelp forest ecosystem?

Kelp Forests are underwater ecosystems formed in shallow water by the dense growth of several different species known as kelps. Like those systems, though, kelp forests provide important three-dimensional, underwater habitat that is home to hundreds or thousands of species of invertebrates, fishes, and other algae.

What are kelp forests and why are they important?

What do kelp forests do?

Kelp forests provide food and shelter for thousands of species. These underwater towers of kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammal species. Kelp forests harbor a greater variety and higher diversity of plants and animals than almost any other ocean community.

What ecosystem services does the kelp forest provide?

The kelp forests provide several important ecosystem services including regulating (e.g., carbon storage and cleaning of the water), primary production, creating habitats including for commercial species, providing raw material for commercial harvest, farming, and industry, and cultural (ecotourism and recreational …