Australia’s southern coastline is home to vast kelp forests, with species like giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and golden kelp (Ecklonia radiata) creating dense underwater habitats.
These forests provide shelter and food for many marine species, including weedy sea dragons, blue groper, Australian fur seals, Port Jackson sharks, and abalone. Kelp forests also play a key role in the ocean’s health, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
Like rainforests on land, kelp forests are always changing. Storms can break apart the fronds, while warming waters threaten their survival. The animals that rely on them must constantly adapt, moving through the swaying kelp as currents shift and sunlight filters through the canopy.
Kelp Forest. Image: Mongabay
Poetry Prompt: A Postcard from the Kelp Forest
Imagine you are exploring this underwater world, surrounded by the movement of marine life.
- Who do you encounter? A blue groper weaving through the kelp? A Port Jackson shark resting on the seafloor? A seal twisting through the currents?
- What sounds do you hear? The snap of a crab’s claws? The rustling of kelp in the tide?
- How does it feel to move through the water? Do the currents push and pull? Do you glide effortlessly or struggle against the tide?
- What colours surround you? The deep green of kelp? The flash of silver fish? The shifting light as the sun reaches through the water?
- If you could write a postcard home from this place, what would you say?
Write a short poem as if you are sending a postcard from the kelp forest.
What do you witness? What surprises you? What mysteries remain?
Before writing, you might want to listen to these musical compositions by First Nations artists that can help shape the atmosphere of your poem. They have created soundscapes that could bring your kelp forest to life, echoing the rhythm of water, the movement of sea life, or the quiet pulse of the deep: