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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Field Collection and Laboratory Maintenance of Canopy-Forming Giant Kelp to Facilitate Restoration
Published on: June 7, 2024
Catastrophic storms, el nino, and patch stability in a southern california kelp community
Abstract:
Strong winter storms in southern California destroyed most of the canopy ofthe giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera but not the patches of understory kelps in the Point Loma kelp forest near San Diego. Subsequent massive recruitment of Macrocystis juveniles and adults that survived the storms had low survival in the summer during the California El Niño of 1983. The combined disturbance may have long-lasting structural consequences for this community because, once established, the understory patches can resist invasion by Macrocystis.
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