giant kelp
noun
plural giant kelps
: a very large, fast-growing brown alga (Macrocystis pyrifera) of cool oceans that often grows in dense patches, may reach a length of 150 feet (45 meters), and has long stipes from which arise leaflike blades with gas-filled air bladders at their base
… giant kelp, the majestic floating seaweed species common to Monterey Bay …—
Peter Fimrite
Peter FimriteGliding through the frigid waters, I marveled at how the light filtered down through the healthy forests of giant kelp—a humongous species of brown algae …—Ashley Harrell
Ashley HarrellGiant kelps bent to the seafloor from the weight of the mussels growing on them.—Enric Sala
Enric Salacalled also bladder kelp, giant bladder kelp
Examples of giant kelp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All the better for a secluded adventure along misty beaches peppered with sea stacks and giant kelp.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
The original intent of the study in the 1970s was to better understand how giant kelp and understory kelp coexist in their cycles.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Divers and snorkelers weave through forests of giant kelp towers, encountering famously playful sea lions, neon fish, and even historic shipwrecks.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Upon arrival at Santa Cruz Island, the guides provide all that’s needed to explore sea caves by kayak, plus the extraordinary opportunity to snorkel through the giant kelp forests.
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
The team found that mature giant kelp beds shrank after the 2016 Soberanes fire in Monterey County, the 2017 Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the 2018 Woolsey fire in the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
They’re grown in a hatchery and fed a diet of giant kelp that’s sustainably harvested from the surrounding area.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
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Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
The original intent of the study in the 1970s was to better understand how giant kelp and understory kelp coexist in their cycles.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Divers and snorkelers weave through forests of giant kelp towers, encountering famously playful sea lions, neon fish, and even historic shipwrecks.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Upon arrival at Santa Cruz Island, the guides provide all that’s needed to explore sea caves by kayak, plus the extraordinary opportunity to snorkel through the giant kelp forests.
—AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
The team found that mature giant kelp beds shrank after the 2016 Soberanes fire in Monterey County, the 2017 Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the 2018 Woolsey fire in the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
They’re grown in a hatchery and fed a diet of giant kelp that’s sustainably harvested from the surrounding area.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Giant kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giant%20kelp. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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