What did we do?

We worked with our scuba instructor to plan a dive to the base of a kelp forest. The part of the kelp plant that secures it to the ocean floor is called a holdfast. We found a loose, damaged holdfast and brought it to the surface so we could see what animals were hiding in it. We counted the number of creatures and identified them using a picture book. We then returned these creatures to the sea and gathered part of a kelp frond (leaf) from the top of the kelp forest. We brought it to shore to investigate the creatures living inside of it. more...