User:Ilikefishandwhales/Nereocystis

Ecology
Nereocystis, like other large, canopy forming kelps, play a crucial role in maintaining the biologically diverse kelp forests in the temperate marine environments where they flourish. Their fast growth and size provide an important habitat not only for the fish and invertebrates that reside in kelp forests, but also for species that use kelp forests as foraging grounds. In bull kelp forests, kelp crabs are important grazers that control the ecosystem by feeding on large canopy kelps such as Nereocystis.

Microbial Communities
Nereocystis fosters microbacteria species, affecting the ecology on a microscopic level. These microbial bacteria species foster the growth of seaweed, producing growth-promoting substances. According to studies by Weigel, the microbial communities that grow on Nereocystis are composed mostly of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Planctomycetes. Nereocystis is unique in that it contains a large percentage of Verrucomicrobia, with it composing approximately 10% of microbacteria populations on Nereocystis.

Human Effects
Abalone mariculture (the commercial farming and harvest of abalone) and an increasing demand in human consumption have led to a notable and marked increase in Nereocystis extraction. This extraction is done by hand and removes the top two meters of the forest. These first two meters contain bull kelp's pneumatocysts and its reproductive organs, so this method of extraction destroys kelp forests that depend on Nereocystis. Since bull kelp tend to only reproduce once a year, removal of these organs renders Nereocystis unable to reproduce. The tissues of bull kelp are processed and turned into liquid fertilizer as well as food for abalones.