Atlantic Kelp

Photo: ragnvald · CC BY

Laminaria hyperborea forms vast multi-layered forests in Nusfjord, providing critical nursery habitat for juvenile fish, invertebrates, and nudibranch communities throughout the year. The stipes and holdfasts of older kelp individuals host dozens of encrusting organisms — sponges, bryozoans, and tube worms — creating a habitat within a habitat. Arctic-clear water allows sunlight to penetrate deeply enough that kelp canopies begin at just 2 metres depth and extend to 25 metres.