Robert Schwemmer's video: Anacapa Island

Anacapa Island coreopsis & kelp forests at Channel Islands National Park & National Marine Sanctuary Coreopsis in full bloom during the spring Each spring Anacapa's coreopsis, or tree sunflower, undergoes a marvelous transformation. For a few brief weeks in March and April the plant's tall, bare trunks disappear beneath masses of bright green foliage with showy yellow blossoms. Coreopsis survives the lengthy dry season-nine or ten months each year-by remaining dormant. The plant's brittle, seemingly lifeless stems are easily damaged or broken. Anacapa's isolation and the absence of large animals that might trample them protect coreopsis during this dormancy. Kelp Forests Kelp forest in Gull Island Marine Reserve off of Santa Cruz IslandEcology Kelp is a type of seaweed (or marine algae) that describes 27 genera worldwide. Some kelps form dense patches on rocky reefs resembling a forest of trees underwater and are referred to as kelp forests. One third of southern California’s kelp forests are found within Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Kelp forests at the Channel Islands experience a mixing of both warm water currents from the south and cold water currents from the north creating a highly productive system and supporting an incredible abundance and diversity of marine life.