Reflections on the mechanical harvesting of kelp: science, environmental change, wider thoughts and a way forward

by Juliet Brodie 9th November 2018 Revised 19th June 2019 Introduction Kelp forests are biologically remarkable marine habitats.  They occur in cold and temperate shallow coastal waters and are one of the most productive habitats on the planet (Birkett et al., 1998). Supporting an immense diversity of organisms (Christie et al., 2003), acting as nurseries …

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Falkland Islands marine forests: discovering biodiversity in the South Atlantic

Seaweeds are a vital natural resource in the Falkland Islands, a UK Overseas Territory in the southwest Atlantic. The entire coastline of this remote archipelago, which includes nearly 800 separate islands, is fringed by ‘marine forests’ consisting of an extraordinary array of different seaweed species. These seaweed-dominated ecosystems are vital for the functioning of the …