Afterword
The brown, sunlight-dappled fronds of a kelp forest swaying gently on the shallow sea bed hide a complex, interconnecting web of life which is as yet poorly understood. The lives and deaths of plants in the forest provide food for numerous invertebrate animals and fish. The importance of this organic material probably extends far beyond the immediate vicinity of the forest itself. In addition, storm-cast kelp plants have presented a sea gift of fertiliser and raw materials to Scottish coastal communities for generations.