Growing up on the Northern Californian coast, going to the beach has always been more enjoyable to look at than actually getting in the water due to its icy temperatures; however, observing the wide range of sea life has already been a treat. Kelp forests are home to fish, marine animals, and invertebrates, which you may not realize as you just see the tops of these massive underwater trees poking out on the water. Many people, including myself, forget that our oceans take up 70% of the Earth’s surface. What lives below in the ocean is not only vast but an extremely diverse seascape.

These underwater forests are just as important as our above-ground forests with all the CO2 they absorb, which then boosts oxygen levels for marine life and protects our fragile coasts from erosion by slowing wave speeds. Kelp forests thrive in cold, nutrient-packed waters and that’s why their homes are in colder coastal regions. Climate change has brought warmer waters which are not providing the kelp with enough nutrients, causing them and the wildlife that relies on them to shrink on our coasts. With my piece As Above, So Below, I wanted to illustrate that the magic of huge forests we experience on land is mirrored in the kelp forests in cold coastal areas. Kelp forests rely on sunlight for food and energy so they can remain the underwater giants they are, and with increasing warming waters they are disappearing, possibly for good if not protected and restored. Although we only really get to experience what happens above there is still a whole world below.

Emma Atterbury