Monterey Bay Kelp Forest The California coast is famous for its
beds of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the largest seaweed
on the planet (see Limey Petticoat). It forms dense forests just
offshore, and in Monterey Bay it outcompetes bull kelp for
sunlight in many places, but the latter dominates in more
exposed areas. Inshore of these giant species, other smaller
kelps thrive. The kelp forests provide a unique habitat. Sea
otters (see Sleeping securely), which live among the kelp
forests and eat sea urchins, are thought to be important in
controlling the urchins, which graze on the kelp. Seagrasses of
the genus Phyllospadix are also found in Monterey Bay. Unusually
for seagrasses, they can attach to rock, and grow in the surf
zone or in intertidal pools on rocky coasts. Each year over
140,000 tons of giant kelp are harvested in California for the
extraction of alginates, which are used in the textile, food,
and medical industries.