Giant Kelp Macrocystis Pyrifera Stock Image

Macrocystis pyrifera, commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp, is a species of kelp large brown algae, and one of four species in the genus Macrocystis. Despite its appearance, it is not a plant; it is a heterokont. Giant kelp is common along the coast of the northeastern Pacific Ocean, from Baja California north to southeast Alaska, and is also found in the southern oceans near South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.