Indigenous home to both the Mon Calamari and the Quarren, arch enemies from times predating space travel itself, Mon Calamari remains a planet with a relatively peaceful surface despite the turmoil beneath the waves. Atop the waves of Mon Calamari float the great cities, built long ago by the Mon Calamari and under constant threat from the Quarren. Native algae sacks provide nutrition for many life forms and are harvested and shipped offworld to meet the needs of aquatic species across the galaxy.

In fact, much of the solid landmass on Mon Calamari is not a part of the crust of the planet but is in fact merely coagulated floating algae that has hardened after centuries of not being harvested. Serving as further proof that the algae trade is what brought Mon Calamari into the greater galactic community, nearly all of the cities on the planet's surface are devoted to mining, and a large percentage of the population works to harvest the green bacteria.