Large kelp forests in Norway

The aim of the National Program for Mapping Biodiversity – Coast is to provide Norwegian managers and planners with maps of the distribution of marine habitats and key areas for species. The kelp was identified in the field using underwater video cameras and GPS and classified according to the routine established in the Norwegian National Program for Mapping Biodiversity – Coast. Kelp forests were defined as moderately dense and dense occurrences of kelp. Areas of kelp forest were modelled using different statistical methods (e.g. GAM, BRT, Maxent) based on point data collected along environmental gradients. These data include only the largest kelp forests.