Oregon is home to over 25 species of rockfish, these ground fish make up an important part of the ecosystem and make up a large part of the commercial fishery. Rockfish are long-lived, with some living over 100 years, and take a long time to reach maturity. Rockfish spend much of their lives in rocky reefs and kelp forests feeding on smaller fish and squid. Almost all species of rockfish utilize kelp forests at some point in their life. Many juvenile rockfishes find shelter from predation within kelp forests and would not reach maturity without the habitat structure provided by kelp. Kelp forests act as a nursery for many fishes and provide important habitat for juvenile rockfish to grow up in. Species such as kelp, grass, and black rockfish spend time in and around kelp forests throughout their adult life. Some species of rockfish can grow up to be over 40 inches long while others only reach a foot in length.
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The Oregon Kelp Alliance is a project of The Ocean Foundation and is supported by Oregon Sea Grant, NOAA National Center for Coastal and Ocean Sciences, the PEW Charitable Trusts, the Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association, and donations from supporters.