I have dived in such forests and they are magical places with much diversity. Now due to global warming we could lose them.

Warming waters have wiped out 95 percent of giant kelp forests in eastern Tasmania.

“In December of 2015 the temperatures along here were about 14.5 degrees , within two weeks, its hard to believe, it jumped to over 17 degrees,” Baron says.

“In the ocean that’s a massive change, it was a shock to the system.

“By April there was nothing left. Nothing. Not a single strand of kelp was left.”

After researching the decline of kelp forests around the world, Canadian marine biologist Kira Krumhansl describes Tasmania’s losses as both “shocking” and “tremendously alarming”.

“Tasmania is certainly on the very high end in terms of the magnitude of losses that we’ve seen over the last several decades, it’s quite concerning,” she says.

“What’s happening in Tasmania is a demonstration of what the future of kelp forests might be in other regions that may not have warmed quite as fast or to the extent that Tasmania has.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-08/tasmania-east-coast-warming-four-times-global-average/11889628