Whose research first explained how kelp forests create marine habitats?

Marine ecologists, including Wheeler North, helped demonstrate that kelp forests are not just seaweed beds but complex three-dimensional ecosystems. Giant kelp forms towering underwater canopies that provide shelter, feeding grounds, and nursery habitat for many species. These forests are especially important on cold, nutrient-rich coasts of the Pacific. Their ecological role made kelp one of the best-known examples of a foundation species in the sea.