Climate change is a subject of fixation and permanent concern for any individual concerned about the balance of the planet. But now the friends of National Geographic They have raised a new variable in this complex equation that surely many had not thought of: kelp forests.
This is a series of giant algae that could be a key factor in the balance of marine ecosystems and therefore for the entire planet.
If this is the first time you hear about this, we don’t blame you, it’s not such a common topic, especially when talking about climate change and it only has relative weight in a particular sector of specialists.
But an interesting editorial piece has emerged that is quite worth sharing with you, where everything related to this phenomenon is addressed in great detail, interest, passion and length.
National Geographic travels to kelp forests to study their giant kelp
Through its official website, the friends of National Geographic in Spanish They have published an extensive article in the form of research and chronicle of experience. Where they highlight the relief of the kelp forests on a trip through the Miter Peninsula at the eastern end of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands.
Broadly speaking, these formations are described as “giant macroalgae forests” with leaves, called fronds, that extend several meters above the surface.
This underwater forest is a highly biodiverse and productive ecosystem that, in theory, would occupy 28% of the world’s coasts, an extension that together would be as large as the Amazon. But its relevance beyond its size according to the article:
“These forests have a very high value due to their great biodiversity and high percentage of endemism, but also because they offer essential services that directly and indirectly benefit humans, including protection against storm surges and sea level rise, the recycling of nutrients, the provision of food security for coastal communities, tourist recreation, among others.”
Kelp forests with their giant kelp contribute to mitigating climate change, as they store a lot of organic carbon.
Due to this, they are recognized among the community of specialists as “blue carbon deposits”, a crucial element for the precarious balance of the planet today.