Appearance: These are some of the largest brown algae. They have a stiff perennial stem with tough fronds divided into fingers.
Depth: lower shore and below low tide level.
Feeding: Kelp is a producer. It is able to produce growth by photosynthesis.
Environment: Kelp grows below the low tide level and so is never completely uncovered.
Other facts: Kelp competes for light by having a stiff stalk that holds the fronds upright. Kelp is also called tangle because of its appearance when the tide is low and the way it feels as you swim through it! Kelp is apparently tasy when dried. Smaller algae often attach to the stalk.
Classification: The Kelp is a members of the protoctistan kingdom. It is a brown alga.