Rising from the dark depths of the sea, a young bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) reaches up toward the bright light that filters down from the surface. 2019. Carmel, CA, USA.
A green bed of surfgrass (Phyllospadix sp.), a blue band of seawater, and a yellow canopy of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) form the colorful striations of sunlit shallows. 2018. Carmel, CA, USA
An inquisitive monkeyface prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus) peeks out of a hole in a derelict undersea pipe. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forms the arches of the kelp forest canopy. 2018. Carmel, CA, USA
A small swarm of hungry purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) gnaw on the remaining holdfast of a giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). 2019. Carmel, CA, USA
The colors of a shallow kelp forest glow on a cloudy day. 2019. Carmel, CA, USA
Sweeping the sand with its beak, a Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) scours the sanddollar-studded shallows for a fishy morsel. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
The flowing blades of a bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) whip below the surface as a swell rolls over it. 2020. Monterey, CA, USA
An ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) feasts on California mussels (Mytilus californianus) below a breaking swell. 2019. Monterey, CA, USA
While snapping wildly at escaping scuba bubbles, a young Western gull (Larus occidentalis) investigates the food potential of its strange visitor by biting at the dome port of the camera housing. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA.
Reef surfperch (Micrometrus aurora) ride the crest of a wave of surfgrass (Phyllospadix torreyi) as it sways in the surge. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
Floating beneath a fading winter sun, an old bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) waits for the next storm to release its grip on the reef. 2019. Monterey, CA, USA
A young lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) hides in the safety of a red algae bed as jellies drift above. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
A pack of predators on the prowl, this trio of ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus) patrols the intertidal for their favorite prey - the California mussel (Mytilus californianus). 201 8. Monterey, CA, USA
A Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens) drifts into the sun in a swarm of its stinging fellows. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
A male cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) guards his mass of glittering green eggs beneath giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). 2020. Monterey, CA, USA
A rush of cold, salty water washes over the back of an ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) as the ocean withdraws from the rocky intertidal. 2019. Monterey, CA, USA
Propelled by powerful finned feet, a Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) shoots down through the green murk of the kelp forest to forage in the benthos. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
A giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) basks in the cool sunlight and blue water of winter. 2019. Monterey, CA, USA
A tangle of briny fettuccine, a bull kelp's (Nereocystis luetkeana) flowing blades enwrap themselves in calm water, tethered to the bulbous bladder from which they grow. 2018. Big Sur, CA, USA
A Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens) drifts through a kelp forest trailing its long, frilly oral tentacles. 2018. Monterey, CA, USA
A large lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) rests at the bottom of the kelp forest after migrating up from the depths to spawn. 2015. Carmel, CA, USA.
A male northern kelp crab (Pugettia producta) strikes an aggressive posture to defend its anemone-encrusted turf. 2017. Monterey, CA, USA
A young bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) dances in the watery surges of the depths. 2018. Carmel, CA, USA
