Among the many wonders that house Earth's oceans, kelp forests and coral reefs are incredibly diverse ecosystems that provide opportunities for biodiversity and thriving underwater environments. The kelp forests that loom over the ocean floor can reach heights of over a hundred feet, providing a dense habitat for the creatures that live within. Coral reefs can grow to be hundreds of miles wide, as seen in the case of the Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific Ocean. These coral reefs, much like the kelp forests with which they share the sea, provide rich environments rich in biodiversity and abundant underwater resources. In recent years these coral reefs, along with their kelp forest counterparts, are increasingly being harvested by humans for various commercial and non-commercial uses. This is putting a strain on these environments and their ability to survive and regrow. It is critical that humans better understand these aquatic spectacles and do their part in promoting their growth and conservation for the sustainability of the world's oceans. Kelp forests are areas in the ocean with unusually high densities of kelp plants. These kelp forests can consist of hundreds to thousands of individual kelp stalks. These forests most often grow along the coasts of most continents, both north and south of the equator. Some of the largest concentrations of kelp forests are found along the west coast of the United States and Canada (Oceanservice.noaa.gov, 2014). Seaweed is described as a large species of algae belonging to the brown algae family that grows in forest-like environments beneath the waves. These forests can be found in smaller, more compact formations known as kelp beds. Both kelp forests and kelp beds are considered productive and viable underwater ... middle of paper ... and kelp, macrocystis pyrifera in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/plants-and-algae/giant-kelp [Accessed: 1 March 2014].Oceanservice.noaa.gov. (2014). What is a kelp forest?. [online] Retrieved from: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelp.html [Accessed: March 8, 2014].Sanctuarysimon.org. (2014). Simon. [online] Retrieved from: http://sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/sections/kelpForests/overview.php [Accessed: 12 March 2014].Simon, S. (2014). Coral reefs. New York: Harpercollins Publishers. Society, N. (2014). Corals, pictures of corals, facts about corals - national geography. [online] Retrieved from: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/coral/ [Accessed: 3 February 2014].'Withgott, J. & Laposata, M. (2012). Essential environment: the science behind the stories. 4th ed. San Francisco: Pearson.