4 articles
Kelp blades are packed with food — so why don't grazers eat them all? Inside the chemical arms race between brown algae and the herbivores that hunt them.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
Kelp fights back without moving. How phlorotannins, iodine bursts and acid vacuoles deter grazers and foulers — and why that chemistry shapes whole reefs.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
Kelp crabs graze the very forest they live in. How Pugettia producta clips, prunes and cleans kelp fronds — and why predators keep the shears in check.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
Phlorotannins are the brown algae's chemical shield against grazers, microbes and UV. What they are, how they work, and why the defence story is nuanced.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·