There are vast kelp and seaweed forests below the surface, considerably larger than we had imagined. There aren’t many people even mentioned by name. However, a vast variety of aquatic life thrives under their verdant canopy. The Great African Seaforest is located just off the coast of southern Africa, while the Great Southern Reef is located just off the southern coast of Australia.
Large, underwater forests exist all around the globe, but many of them have yet to be discovered and given names. Their size and effectiveness have just been uncovered by researchers. Scientists have discovered that the total area of the world’s maritime forests is equivalent to two times the size of India.
The searing heat waves and global warming both pose a danger to these seaweed forests. Their rapid growth and capacity to store carbon, however, suggest they might potentially be a part of the solution.
What exactly are the ocean’s forests?
Seaweeds are a kind of algae that grow to create dense underwater forests. Photosynthesis, in which plants use energy from the sun and carbon dioxide in the air to develop, is also responsible for seaweed growth. Larger species may reach heights of tens of meters, creating forest canopies that swing endlessly in response to ocean waves. Swimming through one will expose you to a constantly shifting world of mottled light and shade.
These seaweeds serve the same purpose as trees on land by providing food, shelter, and a home for a diverse range of marine life. In order to float, large species like sea-bamboo and gigantic kelp have gas-filled structures that act like tiny balloons.
When it comes to standing tall and holding up their photosynthetic leaves, other species rely on robust stems. The Great Southern Reef of Australia is home to golden kelp, another kind of seaweed that drapes across the ocean bottom. It’s common knowledge that seaweeds are among of the most rapidly growing plants in the world. A precise measurement of their forest coverage has been difficult thus far.
It is now simple to assess forest size on land using satellite imagery. It’s a lot harder when you’re deep in the ocean. Most satellites lack the capability to collect data at the depths where underwater trees exist. Millions of undersea records from scientific literature, internet archives, local herbaria, and citizen science projects helped researchers overcome this obstacle. Scientists used this data to simulate the distribution of ocean forests throughout the world and determined that they span a total area of between 6 and 7.2 million square kilometers.
