Ocean forests: Larger than Amazon, more productive than we imagined
When we talk about the world's largest forests, what comes to your mind? Amazon, Daintree, Congo, Borneo, New Guinea, and this list can go on forever. But do you know that there are forests of kelp and seaweed under oceans that stretch for miles and miles? Now, a new study has revealed that these underwater forests are more extensive and productive than previously believed.
Why does this story matter?
We all have seen scuba divers moving through a canopy of seaweeds during their underwater explorations on the Discovery Channel. A new study has found that forests formed by these seaweeds can be more important to humanity's sustenance than we ever imagined. Moreover, we have only scratched the surface when it comes to these underwater forests. There is a lot more to be learned.
There are about 12,000 species of seaweeds
What kinds of plants do we find in underwater forests? As you can imagine, they are formed by seaweeds. Do you know that there are around 12,000 species of seaweeds? These algae use the sun's energy and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis to grow. Some of them can grow very tall. For instance, the giant kelp can grow to a height of 35 meters.
Underwater forest cover extends between 6-7.2 million square kilometers
Measuring underwater forest cover has always been a challenge. Unlike terrestrial forest cover, they can't be measured using satellites. Therefore, for this study, a group of scientists from the University of Western Australia relied on millions of records from "scientific literature, online repositories, local herbaria, and citizen science initiatives." They found that underwater forest cover lies between 6-7.2 million square kilometers
Seaweeds more productive than most intensively farmed crops
Next, the group led by Albert Pessarrodona Silvestre analyzed how productive underwater forests are. For this, they used several individual experimental studies conducted by scuba divers. They found that ocean forests are more productive than many intensively farmed crops such as rice, wheat, or corn. According to the study, they produce two to 11 times more times biomass per area than most crops.
Ocean forests not safe from our greenhouse gas emissions
Just because they lie deep underwater, ocean forests aren't, however, free from man-made challenges. Do you know that almost all of the extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases has been released into our oceans? This has led to the destruction of vast expanses of ocean forests. Unless we don't put substantial effort into learning about these forests, we won't be able to conserve them.
How can ocean forests help us?
The immense productivity of underwater forests could be the answer to the challenges we face when it comes to food security. The fast growth rate of seaweeds means that they are carbon dioxide-hungry. Their hunger for carbon dioxide suggests that they could be helpful in mitigating climate change. But how much of the carbon is sequestered is a question for another deep research.
