Giant Kelp

Species Name: Macrocystis pyrifera

Description: Giant Kelp is a major habitat forming species of brown algae that can grow to over 10m in height and has its long blades and canopy supported by large flotation bladders that keep this fast growing kelp closer to the sunlit surface.

Giant Kelp was once abundant in Victoria and Tasmania but has been lost from many areas over the past twenty years, including from the Bluff.

Type: Brown Algae
Where to find: Subtidal Reefs
Size: 10m, locally 3m