The Benefits of Ocean Plants

There are a number of ocean plants people see every time that they visit the ocean, but are not as entirely familiar with. In other words, ocean plants have a tendency to be taken for granted. This is because ocean plants are almost always considered a "nuisance" and the plants are not "respected" for the important part they play in the valuable ecosystem.

The Value of Ocean Plants

Our ecosystem draws its value from that which originates in it. In other words, barring external factors such as encroachment by humans, rampant pollution, irresponsible development, anything that is found within an ecosystem usually plays an important role in the ecosystem. Unfortunately, some aspects of the natural world due not look aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. Because of this, people may wish to remove what they consider obstacles regardless of the role that certain natural items play in protecting the natural infrastructure of the environment. One such example of this is the misguided resentment towards the presence of kelp and other ocean plants in the Pacific Ocean.

Looking at the Positives of Kelp

While the image of sprawling kelp may not look nice to certain people who wish to purchase beach front property, these negative feelings are based on ignorance as to exactly how much the presence of kelp aids in beautifying the environment. Kelp, like other ocean plants, provides nutrition for certain fish as well as protection for others. Additionally, by attracting smaller fish to a specific area, it also draws the predators of these fish to the area as well. Often, these predators will attack crabs and other shell fish in the area as well as other sea life that would become significantly annoying if their population grew to an unmanageable level. Again, the presence of kelp will be taken for granted by some because they do not see the chaos that will result if kelp is removed from the environmental equation.

Mercifully, there are laws and restrictions that reduce the radical elimination of kelp and other ocean plants from the environment. Because of this, the benefits of kelp are maintained although it does not receive the credit it deserves for maintaining the positive attributes of a beachfront environment. Hopefully, as the awareness level of the benefits of kelp continue to expand, people will further understand the importance of the presence of kelp and will not seek to eradicate it from the environmental landscape.