Phoca vitulina . The harbor porpoise if found in bays and river mouths 

 as far south as Los Angeles, and the dolphin is found in inshore bays and 

 lagoons. Sea otters occur primarily along the coastal kelp beds and near- 

 shore areas north of Point Conception. 



KELP 



Beds of kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera , are present all along the southern and 



27 

 central coast of California from depths of 100 feet to the surface. In 



ecological terms, these beds may be 100 times more productive than an 

 adjacent sandy bottom and function to reduce the influence of waves and 

 surge on the shoreline. The kelp itself is food for abalone, crabs, 

 snails, and other grazers, and the fronds provide an attachment surface 

 for a variety of organisms, creating a unique biota of bryozoans, 

 hydroids, and nudibranchs. The kelp canopy also feeds the mysids which 

 are in turn a basic component of the food chain of inshore fishes. A 

 wide variety of organisms occur in association with the holdfast of kelp. 

 Kelp is an important renewable resource that is harvested regularly as a 

 source of algin for food, cosmetics and coatings. 



Kelp beds are usually the first to feel the impact of spills and 

 leaks. Kelp found along the shores of Southern California is frequently 

 covered with oil and tar deposits. Further research is needed to ascer- 

 tain kelp's tolerance for oil contamination and the role of kelp in 

 collecting and concentrating oil. 



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