politics
New Research Develops Method to Predict Where Kelp Forests Grow
A new study has created the first large-scale method to predict where kelp forests could be growing along Arctic coasts.
Published
Modified
The kelp forest found along the Arctic coast does a very important job. It is essential for the coastal food chain and plays a significant role in the carbon cycle.
In Norway, the extent of kelp forests has been significantly reduced to the grazing of sea urchins, which has had major consequences for the coastal cod, among others, in addition to the loss of carbon storage opportunities.
Still, little is known about the extent of these underwater forests in the Arctic.
Mapping
Now, however, a research team from the Centre for Ice, Cryosphere, Carbon and Climate (iC3) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway has developed a method to predict where kelp forests can grow based on how much sunlight reaches the seabed.
Using this data, the researchers built a model that can predict how deep kelp can grow and the potential for growth where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis.
This provides an indication of where kelp can grow and how much it can contribute to local ecosystems. The method can also indicate how these patterns may change as climate-driven light conditions shift.
The researchers first tested the method in Kongsfjorden on Svalbard, where they had detailed measurements of the light conditions on the seabed and the biomass of kelp forests located at various depths.
When the method was tested in six other Arctic fjords, the model's predictions matched already published calculations of kelp biomass.
A superhero
The kelp forest acts as a superhero in the marine ecosystem. It is a home, spawning, and hunting ground for many fish species and a food source for many marine species. The kelp also produces oxygen in the sea, in the same way that plants produce oxygen on land.
In addition, it absorbs noise in areas with increased shipping, and it absorbs and stores large amounts of carbon.
Understanding where kelp forests might grow has wide ecological and climate relevance, write the iC3 researchers. The model is particularly relevant as sea ice disappears and there is an increased input of freshwater, which in turn changes the light conditions on the seabed.
Knowing where the kelp can thrive can therefore help set expectations for future ecosystem change, the researchers conclude.
The entire research article can be read here.
