5027; -1Q1 



REPORT DOCUMENTATION 

 PAGE 



1. REPORT NO. 



Biological Report 85(7.2) 



I 2- 



3. Recipient's Accession No 



4. Title and Subtitle 



The Ecology of Giant Kelp Forests in California: A Community 

 Profile 



5. Report Date 



May 1985 



7. Author(s) 



Michael S. Foster and David R. Schiel 



S. Pertorming Organization Rept No 



9. Performing Organization Name and Address 



10. Proiecf /TasWWork Unit No 



Moss Landing Marine Laboratories 



P.O. Box 450 



Moss Landing, California 95039-0450 



11. Conlracl(C) or Grant(G) No. 



(C) 



(C) 



12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 



National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

 Fish and Wildlife Service 

 Division of Biological Services 

 Washington, DC 20240 



13. Type of Report & Period Covered 



15. Supplementary Notes 



IS. Abstract (Limit: 200 words) 



Giant kelp forests are marine communities dominated by the large brown alga, 

 Macrocystis pyrifera . In the northern hemisphere, stands of this species occur 

 along the outer coast of the eastern Pacific from near Santa Cruz in central 

 California to the central coast of Baja California, Mexico. Plants are usually 

 attached to rocky substrata at depths of 5-20 m. These submarine forests are 

 probably the most species-rich, structurally complex and productive communities in 

 temperate waters. 



This profile reviews the relevant literature (over 400 citations) describing 

 M. pyrifera , the organisms associated with it, the interactions among these 

 organisms, and environmental factors that affect the distribution and structure of 

 the community. The state of our knowledge about giant kelp forests is summarized, 

 and suggestions are made for future research and management. 



17. Document Analysis a. Descriptors 



Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera , Distribution, Abundance, Hypotheses, Review, Community 

 Structure, Understory Algae, Invertebrates, Fish, Birds, Mammals, Resource Use, Management 



b. Identifiers/Open Ended Terms 



Kelp Forests, California, Baja California, Subtidal Community, Ecology, Marine 



c. COSATI Field/Group 



18. Availability Statement 



Unlimited 



19. Security Class (This Report) 



Unclassified 



20. Security Class (This Page) 



Unclassified 



21. No of Pages 



152 



(See ANSI-Z39 18) 



*U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1985— 573-282 



OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77) 

 (Formerly NTIS-3S) 

 Department of Commerce 



