#turf-algae

3 articles

Feeding the Wrong Forest: How Coastal Eutrophication Crowns Turf Over Kelp

How nutrient pollution from land tips coastal reefs from kelp forest to turf algae, why the shift is so hard to reverse, and what actually brings the canopy back.

Dr. Mara Ellison · September 26, 2026

Encyclopedia9 min read

Turf Algae: The Fuzzy Competitors That Follow the Forest's Fall

Turf-forming algae are the low, weedy mats that move in when kelp forests fall — and can hold a reef in place. A group profile of the kelp forest's most stubborn rival.

Dr. Theo Nakamura · September 26, 2026

Science8 min read

What Grows Back First: Succession on a Cleared Kelp Reef

After a heatwave, storm or harvest clears a kelp forest, the reef rebuilds in a predictable order. The stage-by-stage science of marine succession.

Dr. Mara Ellison · September 14, 2026

Browse all tags