Cyanotype photogram created with giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) collected by the artist while freediving off Point La Jolla, California on August 24, 2023.

Unique cyanotype on paper (1 of 1). Stonehenge cold press paper. 38 in x 50 in. Created as part of a commission for Tod Klingler.

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is an incredible species with one of the fastest growth rates on the planet. A type of brown algae, giant kelp can grow over 12 inches per day in ideal conditions to total lengths of 100 feet. Their holdfasts anchor them along the ocean bottom in rocky reef areas along the Pacific Coast of North America, while their pneumatocysts, or gas bladders, lift them towards the water's surface to access sunlight for photosynthesis. Giant kelp is the primary kelp forest building species in Southern California, where it creates habitat for hundreds of other marine species.