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.
No comments:
Post a Comment