The forest scene basically did happen as it was sketched out in my thumbnails. Especially I like about the sequence that it is nearly a one-shot with long tracking shots that are blending into each other. Plus: The whole scene only consists of three different 3d models for the plants which makes the whole thing more graphical also due to big shapes...at least I think so. Of course there would have been even more opportunities and possibilities to do it but it turned out to be working well this way.
The single kelp plant model I hand-placed on the tree/root-structure.
One of the two Liana forest models for the big shapes in the scene.