Natural History Wanderings

EarthSky reports

Did you know that there are forests in the Arctic?

Lush underwater forests of large brown seaweeds (kelps) are particularly striking in the Arctic, especially in contrast to the land where ice scour (scraping of sea ice against the sea floor) and harsh climates leave the ground barren with little vegetation.

Kelp forests have been observed throughout the Arctic by Inuit, researchers and polar explorers. The Canadian Arctic alone represents 10 percent of the world’s coastlines, but we know little of the hidden kelp forests there.