Posted by GT on September 04, 2002 at 20:31:22:
In Reply to: Catalina Diving aboard the Cee-Ray posted by Harvey on September 03, 2002 at 15:07:43:
While at a training meeting for "kelpfest", (see related post), I asked "Capt. Kelp" of santa monica baykeepers, and he said it was a Colony of Colonal Hydrozoa called Bryozoan.
From what I remember that he said: They are single celled organisms that grow radially, and have specialized functions, (they're kind of like coral). since they grow in clusters, they only have 3 sides per cell instead of 4, and a tube to interconnect the cells, (moves norishment between the cells).
They do inhibit resparation and photosythisis in the kelp, but are a normal event, which the kelp have adapted to.
While the holdfast (a.k.a. "roots") may exist for a decade, the stipes (or stalks) typically don't last over a year.