bull kelp
noun
plural bull kelps
: any of various very large brown algae (such as of the genera Durvillaea and Nereocystis)
especially
: a large kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) found chiefly from Alaska to California that often forms dense stands, may reach a length of 130 feet (40 meters), and has a single large gas-filled air bladder at the end of the stipe from which arise two clusters of long narrow blades
The bull kelp forests off Northern California are sometimes spoken of as the redwoods of the sea. —
David Helvarg
David Helvarg Examples of bull kelp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The whales break off the ends of bull kelp stalks and use them to groom each other.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
Whales were seen biting off the tips of bull kelp stalks, placing them between themselves and another whale and then rolling the stalk between their two bodies over long periods — with the longest lasting 12 minutes.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
And as bull kelp is in decline due to human activities that disrupt the seabed and more frequent heat waves caused by climate change, the overall ecosystem is degrading.
—Marlowe Starling, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
On the shores of the Pacific Ocean just a couple of miles from the village of Cayucos, California, the heat beat down as visitors wandered through a beach coated in shimmering blankets of seaweed, from bull kelp to sea cabbage.
—Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
Down here, forests are made of giant kelp, which is a perennial species, versus bull kelp in Northern California, which is an annual species.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024
Antoni pulls the bull kelp from the water by attaching a long metal hook to a buoy and then grabbing the rope it’s attached to hand over hand.
—Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
In March, a few weeks before Antoni and his partners planned to harvest their sugar and bull kelp, two anchors on the edge of the farm ended up in the middle, tangling several lines.
—Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
The next morning, Thomas and Gangell guide us on a walk along a stretch of windswept, powder-white sand beach, dotted with shark eggs, abalone shells, and thick bull kelp that Gangell gathers up in his arms.
—Nina Karnikowski, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Dec. 2022
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Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
Whales were seen biting off the tips of bull kelp stalks, placing them between themselves and another whale and then rolling the stalk between their two bodies over long periods — with the longest lasting 12 minutes.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
And as bull kelp is in decline due to human activities that disrupt the seabed and more frequent heat waves caused by climate change, the overall ecosystem is degrading.
—Marlowe Starling, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
On the shores of the Pacific Ocean just a couple of miles from the village of Cayucos, California, the heat beat down as visitors wandered through a beach coated in shimmering blankets of seaweed, from bull kelp to sea cabbage.
—Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
Down here, forests are made of giant kelp, which is a perennial species, versus bull kelp in Northern California, which is an annual species.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024
Antoni pulls the bull kelp from the water by attaching a long metal hook to a buoy and then grabbing the rope it’s attached to hand over hand.
—Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
In March, a few weeks before Antoni and his partners planned to harvest their sugar and bull kelp, two anchors on the edge of the farm ended up in the middle, tangling several lines.
—Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, 31 July 2023
The next morning, Thomas and Gangell guide us on a walk along a stretch of windswept, powder-white sand beach, dotted with shark eggs, abalone shells, and thick bull kelp that Gangell gathers up in his arms.
—Nina Karnikowski, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Bull kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bull%20kelp. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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