Kelp is a very resilient plant when it comes to human impact since it is capable of growing up to 30 centimeters in a day. It is a tough, rope-like plant that becomes planted in the ocean floor at depths ranging from 2-40 meters. For optimal growth, kelp needs water temperature between 40-65 degrees, which means the oceans of California are ideal. Research is currently being performed in order to gain a better understanding of the affects that pollutants from our everyday lives can have on kelp growth and diversity since little is presently known. There is also some concern regarding overfishing of the kelp forests and the negative impact that this can have by eliminating certain species of fish that protect kelp and live in a symbiotic relationship with the plant. If these species are overfished, the kelp could potentially become defenseless to certain invasive species that are normally controlled by the fish (Science Daily 2006).
There is also interest in the impact that kelp harvesting has on the diversity and abundance of kelp. Kelp has been harvested for quite some time by native peoples and the total harvest peaked in World War I when 400,000 wet tons were removed from the ocean in order to make potash for gunpowder and also fertilizer (sanctuaries.noaa.gov). Since the 1930s, kelp is used in a great amount of everyday products such as cakes, puddings, shampoo, dairy products, and cosmetics for its emulsifying and thickening attributes. During the 1980s, kelp harvesting brought in over $40 million every year (montereybay.noaa.gov). Today, our annual harvest ranges from 100-170,000 tons from the California coast alone although the companies make efforts to do so in a way that is environmentally friendly. These companies specifically plant and replant kelp forests in order to maintain a healthy population for sea life while also reducing the impact that would result from the removal of habitation that already exists.
