A vitally important marine habitat in the English Channel will be dedicated to the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The kelp forests are some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world and in the UK cover an area similar in size to the country’s woodlands.
Kelp, which is the name given to several species of large brown seaweed, plays a crucial role in the regulation of the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide. The species are similar to mangroves and coral reefs in warmer waters and offer shelter to a host of animals, including marine mammals and birds, and are also a critical foraging and nursery habitat for fish and shellfish.
Kelp forests are also important buffers against storm surges, reducing the impact of waves and preventing coastal erosion. They depend on sunlight for survival which means they will grow only in shallow water, on hard and rocky surfaces where they can attach their root-like holdfasts around the rock.
