Seaweed - studied it; swam and walked with it; and collected it from shore to shore…

Growing up in San Diego, I was very familiar with Kelp. Kelp covered our beaches and filled the ocean water. I did not ever dive among the Kelp forests which I hear were huge and sometimes dangerous for divers. 

Kelp piles / Pacific Beach, CA / December 2012

Kelp piles / Pacific Beach, CA / December 2012

A few years ago, at Christmastime, I was witness to what must have been a winter occurrence. The beaches were covered with Kelp piles! Some Kelp was strung out you could see how long the Kelp could grow to be!

Brown seaweed / Deception Pass Park, WA / August 2016

When I took a Botany class in college, I learned the group name for brown seaweed was Phaeophyta. At that time seaweed was classified as a plant and was primarily grouped by its colors. Seaweed was used for many different food products like agar and carrageenan. [NOTE: After over thirty years later, carrageenan is now considered to be a health concern !]

Since I spent a lot of time near beaches this summer, I thought a blog on seaweed would be something unique. I have not done too many blogs about the sea. There was certainly a lot of seaweed to see from coast to coast! 

Kelp piles / Pacific Beach, CA / December 2012

I wonder why brown seaweed always appears in such great quantities on beaches and rocks? In the Kelp photo, notice how the large “root-like” structure is present. Those must have been some rough seas!

An interesting thing about all types of seaweed is how most of it floats to the surface or onto the shore. It must need a substrate (something to grow on) on the bottom of the ocean or sound or bay. But so much of it floats to the surface. 

Large mass of seaweed floating / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Near the water’s edge / Tommy Thompson Trail, Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Is it still functioning as a living thing while it floats on the surface? Seaweed has a very simple cellular structure so perhaps it first grows on a substrate and then can still survive while floating. After all seaweed is closely “related” to the single celled algae and other such organisms.

Near the water’s edge / Guemes Channel Trail, Anacortes, WA/ August 2016

Near the shore / Deception Pass Park, WA / August 2016

It seems like brown seaweed is heartier than the other colors (red and green). I know Kelp is very thick and sturdy. 

On beach / Seaside, OR / July 2016

Perhaps that is why one sees more of brown seaweed than other colors. Green seaweed seems to be smaller “leaved” and sometimes hair-like.

Seaweed on rocks / sand bar to Bar Island, ME / June 2016

Seaweed on rocks / Bar Harbor, ME / June 2016

These seaweed mounds and flats certainly need to be hearty with these great tide changes found in Maine!

But there are green seaweeds that will survive a change in tides too. It is amazing to me how the seaweed can adapt to being out of the water for so long!

Seaweed on rock / Deception Pass Park, WA / August 2016

Seaweed may also do better in a calmer water environment. Look at the great variety all found on a small stretch of beach along Puget Sound at Deception Pass Park in Washington state in August!

Red/green seaweed

Red/green seaweed

Red/brown seaweed 

Here is an amazingly large specimen we found quite a few summers ago. Notice how it seems to be providentially spread out to see its full size!

Brown seaweed / Guemes Island, WA / June 2008

So the next time you are along a shoreline, “watch out for nature” and see what specimens of seaweed you can find! And see if more are Phaeophyta.

Pine cones - the “fruit” of gymnosperms

I have always been fascinated by “Pine cones.” Primarily because they remind me of Christmas which I love! 

In Hawaii, there is one predominant conifer (cone bearing) tree — the Norfolk Island Pine (Cook Pine). As it so often happens after starting this blog, I had not ever noticed the Cook Pine when it was producing cones! So in May, I took these photos of the Cook Pine bearing “pine cones.”

Cook Pine cones / Keaīwa Heiau State Park, Aiea, HI / May 2016

Cook Pine / Keaīwa Heiau State Park, Aiea, HI/ May 2016

Small off-color pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

As the flower and fruit, for flowering plants (angiosperms), are the reproductive structure, the “pine cone” (in its many forms) is the reproductive structure for the gymnosperm (conifers, cycads, etc.) tree .

Small off-color pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Various types of cones on one tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Also as in flowering plants (angiosperms), there could be a male and female tree / plant each with only male or female seed-producing organs (“cones”) or both male and female “cones” on the same tree. Dioecious v. monoecious  

Pine cone "proper" / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

When the male and female “cones” are on the same tree, the sperm producing “cone” is found higher on the trees so the sperm will naturally fall onto the female “cones” on the branches below to fertilize it and result in the seed-bearing cone. The seed-bearing cone is the harder traditional “pine cone” that most people view, and use, ornamentally. 

The “pine cone” is in fact why the plants are called gymnosperms.  Gymnosperm means “naked seed.” This refers to the seeds which are produced on scaly and woody structures with the seeds ready to just fall out of the structure with no fleshy life-giving outer coating (fruit) to protect them. 

Pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones, one type / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones, a different type (same tree) / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

All gymnosperms are not “pine” trees. Pinus is a genus for gymnosperms. When I took my environmental horticulture class in college, a pine tree was another plant for which we only had to memorize Pinus sp. 

This implied to me, like Casuarina sp. [March 31, 2016 - What is a winter beach?] that there were MANY of the species within the genus and that for our beginning class purposes, it was too difficult to distinguish among the species. And for that reason for this blog, I didn't try to identify the different Pines / gymnosperms!

As an aside Casuarina sp., although it has very painful “cones,” is not a gymnosperm plant!

Pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones, two types / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Prolific pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

The main inspiration, and the content, for this blog occurred because when visiting Northern Washington state this year, I was amazed at how many “Pine” trees were bearing their “pine cones.” There was a large variety and the trees were so full of the seed-bearing structures! 

Pine cones close up / Anacortes, WA / August 2016 

Pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Here are some unique looking cones. I am not sure whether they are female or male. I like their pale blue color. The one type is very tiny and the other quite large. 

Pine cones / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

In the large blueish-coned tree, the needles are even blue-gray in color!

It was also interesting to me that the trees had their “cones” in August. It seems a strange time to bear “fruit” and it was so much later than Hawai’i. [The latter can be explained as hotter regions (even within a species) will cause fruiting sooner.] But I wonder why there were all bearing cones in August? I really don’t have a theory on that; perhaps you could think of one. To add in a possible factor, conifers are traditionally snow-hardy plants. 

Even non-pine gymnosperm trees in Washington had “cones.” The “cones” for Junipers are the male “cones.” Juniper “cones” Normally, Junipers have berries; which are not really a berry! 

Juniper (possibly) tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Juniper (possibly) cones / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine tree / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Pine cones / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

I don’t know if the Pine trees and cones (pictured here in three photos - all from the same tree) are the same type of tree as shown earlier. 

They look very similar but the arrangement  of the pine needles look different and the cones are a little different too. 

Notice the different stages (or types) of cones all seem to be present in the same location on the tree.

So if you are on the continental United States, “watch out for nature” to see if any gymnosperm trees have their cones and see if you notice different types of cones! In Hawai’i, “watch out for nature” to see what the final seed-bearing cone for the Norfolk Island Pine looks like. I have not looked for that yet!