giant kelp
noun
plural giant kelps
: a very large, fast-growing brown alga (Macrocystis pyrifera) of cool oceans that often grows in dense patches, may reach a length of 150 feet (45 meters), and has long stipes from which arise leaflike blades with gas-filled air bladders at their base
… giant kelp, the majestic floating seaweed species common to Monterey Bay …—
Peter Fimrite
Peter FimriteGliding through the frigid waters, I marveled at how the light filtered down through the healthy forests of giant kelp—a humongous species of brown algae …—Ashley Harrell
Ashley HarrellGiant kelps bent to the seafloor from the weight of the mussels growing on them.—Enric Sala
Enric Salacalled also bladder kelp, giant bladder kelp
Examples of giant kelp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sage Ono explores the abundant life around the giant kelp forests in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
In California, giant kelp can go from microscopic spores to fronds tens of meters long in a matter of months.
—Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 29 Aug. 2024
And yet, when Kristen Davis, a physical oceanographer at Stanford University, rises from the depths after inspecting an experimental farm of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the news is discouraging.
—Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 29 Aug. 2024
The reef is essentially an anchor for giant kelp, which grows tall and thick to create the forests of the sea.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Under ideal conditions, one species of seaweed, giant kelp, can elongate by around two feet per day.
—Saima May Sidik, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024
Down here, forests are made of giant kelp, which is a perennial species, versus bull kelp in Northern California, which is an annual species.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024
Stretching 150 miles along the Southern California coast, the islands are surrounded by deep submarine canyons, productive giant kelp forests on rocky reefs, and sandy beaches.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023
Warming seas are making giant kelp less nutritious, and replacing the consumption of beef and poultry with tropical forest bushmeat would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022
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Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
In California, giant kelp can go from microscopic spores to fronds tens of meters long in a matter of months.
—Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 29 Aug. 2024
And yet, when Kristen Davis, a physical oceanographer at Stanford University, rises from the depths after inspecting an experimental farm of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the news is discouraging.
—Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 29 Aug. 2024
The reef is essentially an anchor for giant kelp, which grows tall and thick to create the forests of the sea.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Under ideal conditions, one species of seaweed, giant kelp, can elongate by around two feet per day.
—Saima May Sidik, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024
Down here, forests are made of giant kelp, which is a perennial species, versus bull kelp in Northern California, which is an annual species.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024
Stretching 150 miles along the Southern California coast, the islands are surrounded by deep submarine canyons, productive giant kelp forests on rocky reefs, and sandy beaches.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023
Warming seas are making giant kelp less nutritious, and replacing the consumption of beef and poultry with tropical forest bushmeat would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near giant kelp
Cite this Entry
“Giant kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giant%20kelp. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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