BRS: Cathy Pfister "The dynamics of Kelp forests in the northeast Pacific and their diverse contributions to coastal productivity."

host: Chris Harley, cookies provided by Alyssa G and Sandra E

abstract: As foundational species, the underwater forests comprised of kelp species have known importance as habitat for fishes and invertebrates. I will show kelp forests also have significant effects on seawater chemistry, productivity and microbial assemblages, hosting significant microbial diversity on their fronds. I will discuss long-term trends for kelp forests in the Pacific northwest and methodologies for understanding the role of the 'kelp holobiome' in nearshore areas. I will further describe the effects of kelp on the carbon and nitrogen cycle, and how they are a particularly significant component of coastal global change scenarios.