Home in the Kelp

Home in the kelp,
Where the urchins and the lobsters graze,
Where many a fish,
Grows into a most tasty dish,
And the seas are quite chilly all day.

Hmmm...? My attempt at poetry. Don't lose the day job, eh? In my prior post, we talked about the cold, nutrient rich ocean currents off the coast of California. Kelp thrives in cold (less than 20C) nutrient rich water along shallow oceanic shelves. The Coast of California is, therefore, a particularly rich habitat for Kelp. The kelp feeds and provides shelter to a whole host of other animals from sea urchins that graze upon it and rockfish, crabs and lobsters that shelter within it. Thanks to our extensive kelp forests, California is the largest exporter of sea urchins for human consumption.