Species of UK: Week 16: Kelp (Laminaria) Species of UK Week 16: Kelp (Laminaria) Kelp were the @SpeciesofUK from 17th to 30th March 2013. Kelp are an extremely important UK species. They are the backbone of our rocky, wind and wave-swept western coastline, and provide an important habitat for many other species, just as forests do on land. Most people in the UK are familiar with kelp from finding washed up pieces on the seashore. Aside from going diving, live kelp can be most easily seen by visiting a rocky shore at low tide and spotting the fronds sticking out of the water. [1] Kelp Fronds at Low Tide, Scotland Over the years kelp has served many uses, from providing kelp ash and iodine in times gone by, to kelp alginates in foodstuffs today. What are kelp? Kelp are a type of algae. Algae are simple plant-like organisms, but unlike plants don’t have complex root, stem and reproductive systems.

[2] A Tiny Alga [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © PROYECTO AGUA** /** WATER PROJECT ] All forms of algae are extremely important. In fact, algae produce more oxygen than all the world's plants put together and they are the basis of many food chains. [3] Kelp and other seaweeds are by far the largest types of algae. Most other algae species are tiny and only visible in clumps, strands or "blooms." [4] Algal Bloom, Iowa Kelp are “brown algae,” the largest kind of algae. They are usually found in cold waters and grow attached to a surface such as rock. [5] Kelp, Australia Kelp species broadly fall into two main categories - the ‘laminarian’ kelps of colder waters in the northern hemisphere (including the UK kelps) and the ‘bladder’ kelps with are larger and have gas-filled floats. [6] Parts of a Kelp Kelp anatomy is very simple. A single ‘frond’ consists of a ‘stipe’ (stem), and ‘blades’ (leaves). Several fronds are held by a ‘holdfast’ (roots).

[7] The holdfast looks like plant roots and is similar in that it holds the kelp to a surface. But it doesn’t gather water and nutrients like plant roots do. Kelp Holdfast [ Flickr Creative Commons © Ed Bierman ] The stipe, like a plant’s stem, carries nutrients, although in a much simpler way - it’s primarily used to deliver sugars from photosynthesis. [8] Some kelps (not any of the UK species) also have gas-filled bladders along the stipe called pneumatocysts, to keep the kelp upright and oriented to the surface. [9] Kelp Pneumatocysts [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © mrs.McD ] And that’s it - there literally is nothing else to a kelp. Why is their structure so simple? It’s because living in water provides a constant source of nutrients, support and a steady temperature, unlike on land where plants have a much harder time! [10] Kelp is most often brownish in colour. But some species of kelp can also be purpish, golden or olive green.

[11] UK Species of Kelp There are seven confirmed species of kelp found in UK waters, one of which is a recently introduced alien. [12] 1. Oarweed (Laminaria digitata) Oarweed is a tough, leathery, dark brown kelp. Oarweed fronds grow up to 2m and form ‘fingers.’ [13] Oarweed attaches to bedrock to a depth of about 20m and at low tides the fronds can be exposed. It lives for 4-6 years. [14] Oarweed (Laminaria digitata) Oarweed grows around the UK coast with the exception of eastern England where the rock is too friable. It’s the kelp species you’re most likely to see in the UK. [15] Oarweed Washed Up on Shore [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © jsutcℓiffe ] 2. Tangle (Laminaria hyperborea) Tangle or ‘cuvie’ is very similar to oarweed but is lighter in colour and has a longer stipe that snaps when bent.

[16] It takes the place of oarweed at lower depths so is usually hidden from view under the waves. Tangle (Laminaria hyperborea) Tangle is the dominant species of kelp around the Scottish Hebrides. [17] 3. Dabberlocks (Alaria esculenta) On shores highly exposed to wave action, oarweed can’t survive and is sometimes replaced by dabberlocks. [18] Dabberlocks (Alaria esculenta) [Source: Wikimedia Commons , copyright expired] Dabberlocks is long, narrow and pointed with a short stipe. It can sometimes be found alongside oarweed, dominating on the more exposed rocks. [19] 4. Sugar Wrack (Saccharina latissima) Where rock gives way to shingle, sugar wrack is found. It's sugary because it contains mannite, sugar alcohol. [20] Sugar wrack consists of a single broad frond with a very distinctive wavy/crinkled edge. [21] Sugar Wrack (Saccharina Latissima) [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © Vidar - Aqua-Photos.com ] 5.

Furbelows (Saccorhiza polyschides) Furbelows has a distinctive large warty holdfast and a flattened stipe with a frilly margin. [22] It normally attaches to rocks and can withstand strong currents. [23] Furbelows (Saccorhiza polyschides) [Source: Wikimedia Commons © Baralloco ] 6. Laminaria Ochroleuca (no common name) Not common in the UK, this species usually occurs in more southern climes but has extended its range northwards. It can be found on the UK’s far southwest coast. It is similar to tangle but it has a bright yellow patch at the junction of stipe and blade. [24] Laminaria Ochroleuca [Source: Wikimedia Commons © Edd48 ] 7. Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) Wakame is a recently introduced alien, originally from the waters around Japan, Korea and China, where it’s an important food crop. [25] It’s been introduced in various other parts of the world too. Wakame grows well in estuarine conditions unlike our native species.

[26] Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © Chris_Moody ] Kelp Forests Kelp form dense ‘forests’ in the sea. Kelp forests are a crucial environment for many other types of marine life, just like forests on land are. [27] On the western coasts of the UK, the geological conditions result in a complexity of bays and headlands, rocky shores and cliffs, offshore islands and islets, intertidal and submerged reefs which are ideal for the development of kelp forests. [28] Kelp Forest at Low Tide [Source: Wikimedia Commons © Anne Burgess ] In the north west of Scotland, particularly around the Hebrides where the habitat is especially suitable with gently shelving rocky basins between many of the islands, the kelp forests cover an enormous area of the subtidal seabed with ‘tangle’ being the dominant kelp. [29] Kelp forests usually consist of a single species of kelp. There’s not much intermixing of species. [30] At lower depths the kelp ‘forest’ gives way to the kelp ‘park’ as individual plants become less common and more scattered.

This gives more space to meadows of red seaweeds such as Delesseria sanguinea. [31] Delesseria sanguinea [Source: Wikimedia Commons © Griensteidl ] Kelp and Other Wildlife Kelp forests provide a fantastic three-dimensional space in the water column for other life to occur. You get many more species in areas with kelp than without. [32] Species in kelp forests include: limpets, anenomes, sea urchins, fish, smaller seaweeds, sponges, worms and crusteceans, many of which live directly on/in the kelp themselves. [33] Dying kelp also provides a vital source of organic material to bacteria supporting the entire food chain, just like forests do on land. [34] In the UK, the biggest kelp forests are formed by oarweed. These host a huge variety of UK wildlife. [35] Oarweed forests contain other smaller types of seaweed such as crisp purple carragheen. [36] Carragheen Seaweed Greyish-white encrustaceans can be found on oarweed blades. These are moss-animals, also known as sea mats.

[37] Sea Mat Sea slugs feed on the sea mat. [38] Sea Slug Commonly found on oarweed is the simply amazing-looking Helcion pellucidum, the blue-rayed limpet. [39] Blue-rayed Limpet Starfish such as the spectacular common sunstar can also be seen roving between kelp. [40] Common Sunstar And of course there are many, many other species I could mention! Kelp Lifecycle Kelp have two amazing and quite different phases in their life. The one we are used to seeing is the sporophyte phase. This reproduces asexually to produce spores. The spores swim, attach to the bottom and develop into microscopic males or females called gametophytes, the second phase, which in turn produce eggs and sperm to reproduce sexually. [41] The kelp egg attracts sperm to it through the water by releasing a pheremone which they can detect. [42] Uses of kelp The word kelp was actually first used to describe the ash produced by burning the seaweed, and was only later used for the seaweed itself.

[43] Kelp ash has high potash and soda content which was used to make glass and soap. The industry peaked from 1780-1830. [44] Kelp Coastline in Scotland, once a thriving industry [Source: Wikimedia Commons © Calum McRoberts ] In the nineteenth century iodine was extracted from kelp ash and the industry had a brief resurgence until cheaper iodine imports came along. [45] Today, crofters in the Western Isles and Orkney provide kelp to the alginates industry. [46] Kelp alginates are used to thicken ice cream, jelly, toothpaste and the head of beer. They're found on postage stamps. [47] A Use of Kelp Alginates [Source: Flickr Creative Commons © Dan4th ] Alginates are now so common in the food industry that you'll probably eat several foods containing alginates from kelp today. [48] Storm-cast kelp is used in fertilising machair (low lying fertile pasture in Scotland’s Orkney and Western Isles) to this day.

[49] Machair and Crofts in the Western Isles Since mediaeval times, kelp has been used to treat goiter (enlargement of the thyroid). It's commonly seen as a health food today and even comes as a capsule supplement. [50] Strange but true… The largest kelps of all, 'Macrocystis,' are found in the Pacific and can grow to longer than 60m! [51] One particular species, 'Macrocystis pyrifera,' has the fastest linear growth of any organism of earth – up to two feet per day. [52] Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) Seaweeds | Tang and Ware Tang and Ware Contact Seaweeds Algae are the oldest known plant form on earth and the most abundant form of marine life – with about 73,000 species worldwide. We have over 650 species growing along our 12,000 km coastline from the huge deep water kelps to the multitude of wracks, reds and greens that sprawl across the rocky shores, inlets, bays and beaches, as well as the microscopic colonies that blanket rocks and stones at the water’s edge.

Generally simple unicellular or multicellular autotrophic organisms, virtually all use photosynthesis to survive, and collectively they produce more oxygen than any other plant form (over 50% of the earth’s oxygen). We usually associate algae with sea water, but there are many that live in freshwater and even those that prefer snow and ice; some are even found growing on trees in the forest. Algae can take many forms, the ones we most commonly see will be filamentous, gelatinous, fibrous, cartilaginous, encrusting or coralline. Seaweeds (macroalgae, primarily) grow from their tips rather than their base (usually just a holdfast) and are found where the substratum provides a solid footing and currents draw in and out to bring them fresh nutrients. This type of environment allows rapid growth and the larger seaweeds such as kelp, will grow quickly, turning the sun’s rays into chemical energy five times more efficiently than land plants. All marine seaweeds must be covered by seawater at least once a day, the most resilient to air will dominate the upper zones of the shore, but the greatest diversity will be found growing at the lowest tide level.

As the depth of water increases, so too the intensity of light decreases and its quality changes. Red light is used and absorbed in the upper few meters, but below that the light levels becomes blue-green. The colour of seaweed is created by the different levels of photosynthetic pigments which determine their ability to absorb light of different wavelengths. It was their colouration that prompted W.H Harvey (1811- 1866) to categorise them into four distinct divisions, the first use of a biochemical criterion in systematic plant divisions. The four divisions are: Red ( Rhodophyta ) – about 6-8,000 species worldwide. Rhodophyta have been determined to be actual ‘plants’. Unusual, as some are calcified (and thus important partners in coral or biological reefs), others that we commonly see the flotillas of reds that cling to the stalks of kelps, and the rock-hugging carrageenans. Laver (Porphyra) is widely known, and a mainstay of diets in Wales as well as Japan, where it is used to wrap sushi; many other reds have recently been identified as useful in antiviral and anti-cancer treatments.

Brown (Phaeophyta)– includes the wracks and kelps. These are not ‘plants’ in the strict sense, although the giant kelps have evolved their anatomy in a virtually identical way to trees, with the Macrocystis growing to over 150 feet high and forming huge kelp forests that stretch for miles along the Southeast Asian and Pacific coasts. Alginic acid is found in the walls of kelp which has given man reason to harvest them for a long time (this was a major industry in Scotland up until Japanese cultivation took over), and more recently research has highlighted alginates as break-through agents in fighting persistent infectious diseases. Green (Chlorophyta) – over 8,000 species, 90% of which are freshwater. These are the original plants on Earth. We can identify them readily by their vivid green colour, such as the gutweed (Enteromorpha) that is often seen carpeting low flat shore banks, or the Sea Lettuce (Ulva latuca) that grows in shallow water. Both can utilise inorganic nutrients from land runoff, so are often found where freshwater streams flow in.

Sea lettuce is a highly nutritious source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals and eaten in coastal cultures around the world. The green seaweeds are also favourite food of those rock pool grazers, sea urchins and sea slugs. Phytoplankton (Wikipedia.org) Smaller algae – microscopic for the most part, with some that are actually cyanobacteria (and amongst oldest life forms on earth, being only 3.5 billion years young). The slightly larger phytoplankton is known as the ‘pasturage of the seas’- the initial food that supports all ocean life; the tiny Dinoflagelattes are the ones that cause ‘red sea’ blooms (releasing toxins and asphyxiating other life forms), the exquisite Diatoms are truly kaleidoscopic microorganisms (see for Klaus D Kemp’s diatom pictures), and did you know that the Coccolithophorids (algae that releases calcium carbonate) make up the white cliffs of Dover? The distribution of the differently across the tidal zones, from the high-tide mark to water measuring usually no deeper than 100 metres.

The fucoids (also known as rockweeds) are found along the higher zones in descending horizontal bands starting with the little, oil-rich, Canaliculata pelvetia at the top, followed by Fucus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum , then Fucus serratu s , F spiralis and F. ceranoides and then, with their feet always firmly underwater, the kelps, the Corallines and the Rhodophyta. (drawing of zones here) And these zones of course create ecosystems that in turn support a variety of invertebrates and herbivores. Recent Posts Seaweed Genetics & Hatchery (G&H) Seaweed Genetics & Hatchery (G&H) Propagating Seaweed for a Sustainable Future Seaweed Genetics & Hatchery (G&H) At the laboratories both in The Netherlands at Texel and in Norway at Solund, experienced and dedicated marine biologists take great care of the breeding and propagation of seaweed. Hortimare now has a wide range of high quality starting material of various types of seaweed. Our employees work hard on the selection and breeding of the different species of seaweed for high contents of protein and yield.

The original seaweeds we propagate always originate from the region we grow them. The multiplication of seaweed is a technical process; gametofytes* of seaweed are grown in a controlled way in our laboratory and at the desired stage are attached to different kinds of carrier materials such as twine, ribbon or just in suspension. The thin lines can be attached to heavy weight lines, nets or other carrier materials and can be placed in the sea. * gametofyte: male and female intermediate stage in generative algae of seaweed. Assortment Hortimare's supplies the following species selected per country and region. We are specialised in the cold water species with the highest potential of applications for compounds but for fresh consumption as well.

•Saccharina latissima: Sugar Kelp (NL: suikerwier, NO: Sukkertare) •Alaria esculenta: Winged kelp, Dabberlocks (NL: vleugelwier, NO: Vingetang, Butare) •Ulva lactuca: Sea lettuce (NL: zeesla, NO: Havsalat) •Laminaria digitata: Oarweed, Fingerkelp (NL: vingerwier, NO: Fingertare) •Palmaria palmata: Dulse (NO: Søl) We are able to supply these localy derived species in Norway, Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands. Hortimare develops the juvenile seaweeds, attached to a carrier of your choice. You are then ready to have your seaweeds grow out to bio-mass either in landbased tanks or in open sea. Depending on the season, nutrients and other external factors, the harvest can be expected within 5-7 months. Kelps grows best over the winter season in most countries. Ulva performs better in summer.

© Hortimare BV - All published text and images are owned by Hortimare and may not be used, published, distributed or copied without specific written approval of Hortimare BV. Lundy MCZ | Kelp Forests Kelp Forests Kelp Forests Kelp Forests The laminarian kelps of the northern hemisphere occur at and below tide height, and are a large group of brown seaweeds that live on the seabed to depths at which sunlight penetration will allow - at around 10 to 20 metres. These seaweeds are often seen growing in dense aggregations or 'forests' usually composed of a single species. The laminarians of which there are five species found at Lundy, typically have long strap like fronds with a short stubby stipe (stem) and are attached to the rocks by a structure called a holdfast. Each species had its own distinctive appearance and is distinguished by the type of location in which it grows' which is defined by depth and range of exposure to wave action.

Oarweed Laminaria digitata, Cuvie Laminaria hyperborea, Furbellows Saccorhiza polyschides, Dabberlocks Alaria esculenta and Sugar Kelp Laminaria saccharina are all kelp species which grow at Lundy. Forests of these kelp provide a rich and diverse living environment likened to that of a coral reef. The tree-like multi layered structure of the individual seaweed provides a wide variety of animals the ideal place to live or shelter. Small animals such as crustaceans, brittlestars, molluscs and worms live within the holdfast, while the fronds provide surface area for a range of colonial animals such as sea mats (bryozoans), and epiphytic seaweeds. In between the seaweeds animals such as sponges, urchin and other seaweeds colonise the rock surface and the large plants provide shelter to small or juvenile fish from predators. This combination of suitable structures allows for a diverse range of species to manifest itself as spectacular and thriving kelp community. A second important function of kelp forests is the production of organic material.

Kelps and the other seaweeds found in kelp forests grow by fixing carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis. The resulting vegetation eventually dies, producing flakes of rotting plant material and dissolved chemicals derived from plant material, both of which act as food sources for bacteria and single-celled animals. These, in turn, provide food for larger animals such as fish and lobsters. At Lundy, kelp forests at Gannets bay and in Devil's Kitchen are protected by the sheltered bay' and beyond the Oarweed at low tide level are then dominated by kelp such as Laminaria hyperborea. On the more exposed west coast, it is Dabberlocks Alaria esculenta which dominates' as it is more tolerant of exposed sea conditions and wave action. Sea Belt | Jessica's Nature Blog Jessica's Nature Blog For more information about Sea Belt or Poor Man’s Weatherglass seaweed – Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus) Lamouroux – see the earlier Postings about this species on Jessica’s Nature Blog .

COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2013 All Rights Reserved 4 This tentacle-like entanglement, which seems to exude blood as it clings to the pebble, is a kelp seaweed holdfast washed ashore at Ringstead Bay, Dorset. It is likely to be from a Tangleweed or Oarweed – Laminaria digitata (Hudson) Lamouroux. It has been separated from the stem and frond of the alga so it is difficult to name with certainty. It could also be from a Sea Belt or Poor Man’s Weather Glass, Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus); both types of seaweed wash up on this beach. The wrinkled, leathery, rufous brown subject for the second photograph is a detail of the strongly-waved, frilly edge of a flattened seaweed stem. This is part of the Furbelows kelp, Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters. The stem is changing from its normal greenish brown to a darker reddy brown colour; and from a smooth thin structure to one with a thicker, rougher, rippled texture as it dies and dries out.

This third photograph shows one of many kelp fronds on the Ringstead shore that had completely lost their colour and opacity. The washed-up fronds were clear or tranlucent and seemed to both contain bubbles or capsules within the structure as well as to be covered on both upper and lower surfaces with droplets of rain water. The light was reflected by the shiny, smooth, wet surfaces. These fronds might be from either the Furbelows, or Tangleweed or Cuvie kelps – the isolated fronds or blades being indistinguishable to the casual observer. The features that resemble bubbles in the blades are probably “unilocular sporangia” from which the spores for the new generation of kelp develop. The fourth and final photograph below shows a detail of the holdfast which is typical of the Furbelows kelp. It is a hollow, approximately ball-shaped structure by which the seaweed attaches to rocks. The surface is warty and there are short, stubby rootlets. Revision of a post first published 29 September 2009 COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All Rights Reserved 3 Sea Belt is a very common British seaweed.

It is also known as the Poor Man’s Weatherglass because, if you hang it up crisp and dry, it will go limp in damp weather and forecast the rain. Its Latin name is Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus) Lamouroux. This seaweed has the most wonderful glossy, crinkled, wrinkled, folded, and wavy flat fronds. The texture is mostly puckered like the fabric called seer-sucker. I have previously described this species in more detail in Kelps at Kimmeridge Bay and Three brown seaweeds from Studland Bay in spring . I recently bought an old book called A Popular History of British Seaweeds -comprising their structure, fructification, specific characters, arrangement, and general distribution with notices of some of the Fresh-Water Algae. It was written by the Rev. D. Landsborough, A.L.S. and published in London in 1857. Landsborough’s book is a total delight to read and a mine of interesting information – although some facts are now out of date. It is illustrated throughout with beautiful hand-tinted plates on which the previous owner has most carefully labelled each seaweed specimen in neat pencilled handwriting.

As a clergyman, the writer was keen to remind the reader that everything he described was a wonder of nature for which the Almighty must be thanked. I thought you might be interested to read an excerpt from the Reverend gentleman’s account of Laminaria saccharina. The full-grown plants are not only beautifully waved at the margin like the young plants, but they are frequently bullated and rugose, and thickened at the centre. The substance varies from cartilaginous to leathery. The colour is olive-brown, tinged with yellow. It is well deserving of the name saccharine, for, as I mentioned before, it has been proved, by my friend Dr. Stenhouse, to be rich in mannite, which is nearly as sweet as sugar. With all this however to sweeten it, it is not relished as food; indeed the Norwegians, we are told, esteem it so lightly that they call it Toll-tare, implying that it is fit food for the Fiend. But He who made all things very good, made it for good purposes. It is not despised by the farmer, who finds that it yields nourishment to his crops.

It is a great favourite with some of the beautiful “minims of nature”, and the young naturalist will find that he is amply repaid for the careful examination of its fronds. Beautiful mollusks may be found gliding along them, and they are the fixed habitation of many zoophytes: Flustra membranacea covering it to a great extent with its fine, silvery, lace-like web. “Huge Ocean shows, within his yellow strand, A habitation marvellously planned, 2 This is a series of pictures showing some of the things I noticed as I walked along Knoll Beach at Studland late on a cold, wet, dull, afternoon at the end of November. The beach was virtually deserted although the many footprints showed that it had been a busy afternoon despite the wintry weather and overcast skies. There were a fresh assortment of natural ‘treasures’ to be found on the wet, rain-pocked, surf-washed, sand.

These included empty Chequered Carpet shells with graphic black markings; live clusters of Slipper Limpets; an occupied Common Mussel with a Sea Belt holdfast attached; pieces of pale green and dark brown beach glass; and red, orange and brown seaweeds decorating the strandline. 9 Seaweeds usually start off life attached to rocks. Although Studland Bay is famous for its beautiful fine, clean sand, there are rocks to the west of the bay near Old Harry Rocks, and also the artificial substratum of what is locally termed the Training Bar. The Training Bar runs from the junction of Shell Bay and Knoll Beach (both are parts of Studland Beach) seawards in an approximately south-westerly direction. It is signposted with beacons on poles. Its purpose is to guide boats safely into the narrow entrance to Poole Harbour by the Sandbanks Ferry. Seaweed becomes detached from the rocks for many reasons but most commonly due to strong wave action in stormy weather. The weed then floats around and often gets washed ashore. Because the weed may have been swilling around for a considerable time, the condition may be poor when it is found on the beach.

Most of the time the quantities of weed are moderate, scattered and impermanent – it gets washed out to sea on the next tide. Occasionally vast banks of weed accumulate and do not disperse. If this happens, the National Trust (who own the beach) have hit on the novel idea of bagging it up and selling it as fertiliser for the garden. It makes excellent enrichment for the soil. For centuries, people have gathered seaweed for this purpose. In Alderney in the Channel Islands, for example, you can find evidence of the former wrack-gathering activities in the cobbled ramps that lead down to the beaches; these were constructed for the carts to get down to the shore. The top picture shows the commonly occurring kelp called Furbelows, Saccorhiza polyschides(Lightfoot) Batters, washed up at Studland Bay, Dorset. It is one of the largest brown seaweeds or Phaeophyceae. It has long strap-like leathery fronds. The stalk is short, flat and typically has a wavy ruff or frill either side of it as you can see in the picture below. Sometimes the stalk is twisted at the base.

The holdfast at the base frequently has a warty and bulbous hemispherical appearance as well as rootlets. Lots of plants and animals prefer to settle here on both stalk and holdfast. The specimen below has red seaweeds attached to it. Sea Belt or Poor Man’s Weather Glass, Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus) Lamouroux, is another large brown kelp but is easily distinguished from Furbelows. The frond is often a single blade and is has a crinkly surface that looks like that old-fashioned fabric known as seersucker. The stem of Sea Belt is short and slender as you can see in the photograph below. There are no lateral frilly edges. The holdfasts are a series of intertwined rootlets and there is no large bulbous structure. You can find more pictures and information about these two kelps in a previous post – click here for Kelps at Kimmeridge Bay . One of the smaller brown seaweeds is Flat or Spiral Wrack, Fucus spiralis Linnaeus, pictured above and below.

Like Bladder Wrack and Toothed Wrack it has a central midrib – but it doesn’t have any air bladders and the edges of the fronds are smooth. One of its supposed characteristics, and the one from which it gets the name Spiral Wrack, is the tendency of the fronds to twist -but you can’t rely on this feature alone for identification. When the forked tips of the fronds swell with reproductive products, they are lighter in colour and have a granular appearance. However, these swellings have a distinct longitudinal ridge or border around their edge which is a continuation of the blade or frond. This is one of the diagnostic features for the species. There are more detailed pictures and explanations about Flat or Spiral Wrack click here for Flat or Spiral Wrack from Chapman’s Pool . Revision of a post first published 4 June 2009 COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All Rights Reserved 11 I found three types of kelp washed up on the seashore at Kimmeridge Bay on 15th March 2009. Kelps are the largest of the British brown seaweeds or Phaeophyceae.

They are perennials in plant terminology compared with many of the more ephemeral red and green algae that appear seasonally or annually. Kelps all have a flat blade joined to a stalk, sometimes substantial, in turn attached to rocks by a much branched structure called a hold-fast. They live at low water or deeper. The kelp on the pebbles in the photograph at the top is known as Furbelows, Latin name Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot). It has been washed up onto the shingle complete with the large stone to which it is attached. The holdfast is like a hollow knobbly ball. The stem is smooth and flat, often with a twist just above the holdfast, sometimes with really noticeable wavy or frilly edges. The blade starts off as a single blade but becomes divided up into long straps. The whole thing can reach 4.5m long and 3.5m wide. The photograph below shows in detail the characters of stem and holdfast by which this species is identified. Cuvie, or Laminaria hyperborea (Gunnerus) , is another type of kelp found on the strandline (shown below).

This one also has a long stem but with a round rather than a flat cross-section; and the outer surface is roughened and not smooth. The blade is divided up into long straps just like the Furbelows described above. The holdfast is not bulbous in this type but simply a complex of ‘rootlets’. Additionally, it is typical that some smaller red seaweeds are actually growing on the stem. You can see these details more clearly in the picture below. The third type of kelp I saw was Sea Belt, or Poor Man’s Weatherglass – Latin name Saccorhiza saccharina Linnaeus. This is easily recognisable from the crinkly puckered blade. You can spot it straight away amongst the piles of seaweed on the Kimmeridge strandline shown in the two pictures below. This weed has a thin short stem and a holdfast of branched rootlets. When this seaweed is dry, a fine sugar-like powder coating appears on the blade hence the saccharina in the Latin name. Because this dried weed becomes limp again in damp air, it is traditionally used to forecast rain.

For more information about seaweeds a useful website is Algaebase which is a data base for all agae including marine seaweeds. For more information on the three kelps illustrated click on Furbelows , Cuvie , and Sea Belt . For more information about Kimmeridge Bay see the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve Web Site. COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All rights reserved ALL THINGS BUSHCRAFT: FORAGING FOOD: Edible Seaweeds Saturday, 4 December 2010 FORAGING FOOD: Edible Seaweeds There are roughly between 20-40 good edible seaweeds native to UK coastal waters. Here are some of them. You should always resist the temptation to eat any of it raw, straight from the sea, no matter how clean the water. Thong Weed or Sea Spaghetti: Himanthalia elongata is a brown algae and can be found on exposed shores just above the kelp zone. The fronds are small and button-shaped. More distinctive are the long strap-like reproductive bodies that grow from the centre of each ‘button’. This seaweed only lives for two or three years.

It dies as soon as it has released its gametes. Thong Weed can be eaten like spaghetti. Boil for 10/15 mins and add to pasta or chop up and put into a salad. Turns bright green if you cook it. Also good eaten raw. Egg Wrack: Ascophyllum nodosum is a large, common brown alga. The fronds are an olive-brown. It is a seaweed of the northern Atlantic Ocean, also known as Norwegian kelp, knotted Kelp, or knotted wrack. It is common on the north-western coast of Europe (from Svalbard to Portugal) including east Greenland and the north-eastern coast of North America. It has long fronds with large egg-shaped air-bladders. The fronds can reach 2 m in length. When ripe they are yellow, and as the tide goes out they can form huge piles of seaweed. It lives up to 15 years and is a dominant species of the middle shore. boil for 10 minuets till soft , garnish or add to stews. Bladderwrack: Fucus vesiculosis is a large brown alga.

Usually about 40cm in length, it grows in a wide variety of places from exposed rocky shores to river inlets, mostly common on sheltered rocky areas. This seaweed is on the coasts of the North Sea, the western Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Though technically a brown alga it can vary in colour from olive green through reddish brown to almost black. It is characterized by the small gas–filled vesicles which are in pairs, one on either side of a central midrib running along the centre of the strap-like frond. It is a thyroid stimulant, and might counter obesity by increasing the metabolic rate. Stored dried it makes a very nutritious tea as well as being used in soups. Powered down it makes a great stock for stews. Brown Leafweed, False Kelp or Petal Weed: Petalonia fascia is a small brown alga, typically brown in colour but which can also be olive green. Usually it is seen between late autumn and early summer. The alga has a small discoid attachment base, from which emerge fronds some 20cm long and 4 to 6cm wide that are flattened.

Brown Leafweed is high in sugar and starch and has an agreeable flavour which means it can be used cooked or raw. It can be dried and re-constituted. Being common in winter months it used to be collected extensively by tidal communities during the 'hungry gap' that marks the end of winter, just before the beginning of spring. Carragheen or Irish Moss: Chondrus crispus is a red alga, It grows along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. Varying in colour from a greenish-yellow to a dark purple or purplish-brown. When sun-dried it has a yellowish translucent consistency. The plant inhabits the lower shore. It can grow up to 15cm long. When softened in water it smells of the sea, and it will form a jelly when boiled. Irish moss is a major source of carrageenan, which is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in processed foods. Carragheen is an important setting agent and was used in ancient times. Dabberlocks: Alaria esculenta also known as dabberlocks or badderlocks, or winged kelp.

It is a traditional food along the coasts of the far north Atlantic Ocean. It may be eaten fresh or cooked. It grows to a maximum length of 2 m. The whole frond is brown and consists of a distinct midrib. It is a common large algae on shores. Dried, the kelp can be used later in stews, bean dishes and soups. A high-nutrient kelp. During difficult winters in Iceland, dabberlocks is used in bread and thick soups to provide nutrition. Dulse: Palmaria palmata is a red alga. It grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a well-known snack food, and in Iceland, where it is known as söl, it has been an important source of fiber throughout the centuries. Dulse vary in colour from deep-rose to reddish-purple and are rather leathery in texture. Ranging in sizes up to 50cm long. Dulse can be found growing the area between the high tide and low tide to depths of 20m. Dulse is a good source of minerals and vitamins compared with other vegetables, contains all trace elements needed by humans, and has a high protein content.

It is commonly found from June to September. Fresh dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun-drying. Sun-dried dulse is eaten as is or is ground to flakes or a powder. In Iceland the tradition is to eat it with butter. It can also be pan fried quickly into chips, baked in the oven covered with cheese, with salsa, or simply microwaved briefly. It can also be used in soups, chowders, sandwiches and salads, or added to bread/pizza dough. Finely diced, it can also be used as a flavour enhancer in meat dishes. Gutweed: Enteromorpha intestinalis is a long, green and tubular alga. Also known as grass kelp. The tubes are flattened and crinkled. This bright green seaweed is very abundant where freshwater is present on the shore, and is a good indicator of fresh water. It grows profusely in north-western Europe. It can be found usually in shallow pools of the upper shore. Typically they are 20 to 40cm long. Most abundant in June and July.

When dried and deep fried they are edible and are the origin of the 'crispy seaweed' used as topping on many Chinese dishes. Young specimens can be washed and used raw in salads or they can be lightly boiled or steamed and used like a green vegetable. Laver: Porphyra sp. brownish in colour, has a high mineral salt content. particularly iodine and iron. Laver is common around the west coast of Britain and east coast of Ireland along the Irish Sea. Laver is unique among seaweeds because it is only one cell thick. It is used for making laverbread, a traditional Welsh dish, plus it can also be substituted for spinach. It has been harvested in the British Isles for centuries and is most closely associated with South Wales and the town of Glamorgan. Lovely roasted with sesame oil and salt. boiled it turns to a dark green pulp. The high iodine content gives the seaweed a distinctive flavour in common with olives and oysters. Laver provides vitamins A, B, C, E, K, thiamin and pantothenic acid. It also contains the minerals phosphorus, potassium, iron, iodine, copper, manganese and zinc.

It is low-calorie, at about 10 calories per ounce, contains no sugar or cholesterol, and is about 7% protein. Oarweed or Tangle: Laminaria digitata is a brown alga which can grow up to four metres long. It has been used by people for hundreds of years as food, medicine and even bandages. It has a stipe that is oval in cross-section and which is very flexible and does not snap easily when bent. Oarweed can be shredded and pickled as a condiment. It also dries well for later use. High in glutamic acid, tangle tastes of peanuts. It is also one of the best species of seawed for making flour. The seaweed becomes translucent, tender and very tasty after extended boiling. Pepper Dulse: Osmundea pinnatifida is a small red alga. It grows grows on exposed to moderately sheltered rocky shores and is common on the middle and lower rocky shores, often covering large areas with a greenish-yellow turf . It is red in colour and typically up to 8cm in length which is tough. Sometimes dwarfed and yellow-green in colour. Pepper Dulse is highly aromatic.

When shredded, add to flavour stir-fires, to give a peppery taste. Traditional soups and broths of the Highlands in Scotland use it as a substitute to pepper. Sea Lettuce: Ulva lactuca is widely distributed over rocky shores. It is also found on mud-flats attached to stones and shells. They are able to survive as a floating mass. In Wales the plant is sometimes used to make ‘larver bread’ in place of the red seaweed, purple larver. It is, therefore, sometimes referred to as green larver. Many species of sea lettuce are a food source for humans in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland, China, and Japan (where this food is known as aosa). Sea lettuce is great raw in salads and cooked in soups. It is high in protein, soluble dietary fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Serrated Wrack or Toothed Wrack: Fucus serratus is flat, olive brown to golden brown algae with serrated edges. It grows about 150cm long. Recognised by the strap-like branching fronds with jagged serrated edges. The frond, a divided leaf, can grow to be 2cm wide.

Serrated wrack is found on hard substances near the bottom of the ocean. Serrated wracks can be found in dense populations about 45 feet down or in banks or low waters around a depth of 4 feet. Most common, however, it is found on sheltered rocky substrata'wrack' seaweed. This seaweed is not commonly used as a food, however, its edible properties are very similar to that of bladderwrack. Stored dried it makes a very nutritious tea as well as being used in soups. Powered down it makes a great stock for stews. Sugar Kelp: Saccharina latissima is a brown alga and can be found amongst oarweed (Laminaria digitata) on sheltered shores. The plant often lies flat and horizontal. Also known as Sea Belt, Poor Man's Weather Glass, it is sometimes covered in a whitish powder. This powder is sweet to taste, and where it gets its name. Seasonal growth results in alternate rings of light and brown tissue being laid down during periods of fast and slow growth. These rings can be used to age the plant. The seaweed lives for about three years.

The sugar kelp is sometimes referred to as ‘poor man’s weather glass’ because in the past it was hung up to forecast the approaching weather. Brittle fronds meant that the weather would be dry. Soft, limp fronds meant rain was approaching. Sugar Kelp can be shredded and pickled. It also dries well for later use. Like all edible kelps, it is high in glutamic acid, which contributes to the flavour and aids with the mouth feel of foods making them more appetizing. This species can also be peled, shredded and eaten raw as a salad vegetable. Japweed or Wireweed: Sargassum muticum is a seaweed originating in Japan but has become well established on the coasts of Europe and North America. It is regarded as a pest by mariners, fouling boat propellers and fishing nets and disturbing the natural balance of the indigenous marine flora and fauna. It was accidentally introduced to western North America and Europe, and is steadily extending its range in these areas. It out competes other seaweeds and in these regions is regarded as an invasive species. But saying that, its here, so lets take full advantage of it as a food source.

This long, bushy seaweed has numerous side-branches, which have many leaf like fronds up to 10 cm long. The fronds bear small, gas-filled bladders, either singly or in clusters. Posted by Seaweed descriptions and pictures Site contact Seaweed descriptions and pictures Here is a selection of 200 or so of the larger seaweeds from the north-eastern Atlanic, many of which occur in Norway, Britain, Ireland, Atlantic France and Spain, and in Portugal. Web pages have so far been completed for those with links (underlined). Please bear with me while the descriptions and pictures are refined. It is also intended to provide a synoptic, interactive key later. Suggestions for additions and corrections to Michael Guiry . Where there is no common name in brackets, none exists. Fact sheets for Irish macroalgae seaweed textures | Jessica's Nature Blog Jessica's Nature Blog COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2014 All Rights Reserved 5 Many UK shorelines are characterised by the wealth of seaweeds that colonise them. These seaweeds are as often likely to become detached from where they have settled and subsequently wash ashore, sometimes in great profusion and abundance.

The textures and colours are varied with representatives of many groups – often with species of brown (Phaeophyceae), green (Chlorophyceae), and red (Rhodophyceae) marine algae. They contribute to a great multi-coloured strandline along the waters’ edge and provide the average beachcomber with an opportunity to discover and appreciate varieties of algae normally well out of reach. COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2013 All Rights Reserved 4 This tentacle-like entanglement, which seems to exude blood as it clings to the pebble, is a kelp seaweed holdfast washed ashore at Ringstead Bay, Dorset. It is likely to be from a Tangleweed or Oarweed – Laminaria digitata (Hudson) Lamouroux. It has been separated from the stem and frond of the alga so it is difficult to name with certainty. It could also be from a Sea Belt or Poor Man’s Weather Glass, Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus); both types of seaweed wash up on this beach.

The wrinkled, leathery, rufous brown subject for the second photograph is a detail of the strongly-waved, frilly edge of a flattened seaweed stem. This is part of the Furbelows kelp, Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters. The stem is changing from its normal greenish brown to a darker reddy brown colour; and from a smooth thin structure to one with a thicker, rougher, rippled texture as it dies and dries out. This third photograph shows one of many kelp fronds on the Ringstead shore that had completely lost their colour and opacity. The washed-up fronds were clear or tranlucent and seemed to both contain bubbles or capsules within the structure as well as to be covered on both upper and lower surfaces with droplets of rain water. The light was reflected by the shiny, smooth, wet surfaces. These fronds might be from either the Furbelows, or Tangleweed or Cuvie kelps – the isolated fronds or blades being indistinguishable to the casual observer. The features that resemble bubbles in the blades are probably “unilocular sporangia” from which the spores for the new generation of kelp develop.

The fourth and final photograph below shows a detail of the holdfast which is typical of the Furbelows kelp. It is a hollow, approximately ball-shaped structure by which the seaweed attaches to rocks. The surface is warty and there are short, stubby rootlets. Revision of a post first published 29 September 2009 COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All Rights Reserved 3 Sea Belt is a very common British seaweed. It is also known as the Poor Man’s Weatherglass because, if you hang it up crisp and dry, it will go limp in damp weather and forecast the rain. Its Latin name is Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus) Lamouroux. This seaweed has the most wonderful glossy, crinkled, wrinkled, folded, and wavy flat fronds. The texture is mostly puckered like the fabric called seer-sucker. I have previously described this species in more detail in Kelps at Kimmeridge Bay and Three brown seaweeds from Studland Bay in spring .

I recently bought an old book called A Popular History of British Seaweeds -comprising their structure, fructification, specific characters, arrangement, and general distribution with notices of some of the Fresh-Water Algae. It was written by the Rev. D. Landsborough, A.L.S. and published in London in 1857. Landsborough’s book is a total delight to read and a mine of interesting information – although some facts are now out of date. It is illustrated throughout with beautiful hand-tinted plates on which the previous owner has most carefully labelled each seaweed specimen in neat pencilled handwriting. As a clergyman, the writer was keen to remind the reader that everything he described was a wonder of nature for which the Almighty must be thanked. I thought you might be interested to read an excerpt from the Reverend gentleman’s account of Laminaria saccharina. The full-grown plants are not only beautifully waved at the margin like the young plants, but they are frequently bullated and rugose, and thickened at the centre. The substance varies from cartilaginous to leathery. The colour is olive-brown, tinged with yellow.

It is well deserving of the name saccharine, for, as I mentioned before, it has been proved, by my friend Dr. Stenhouse, to be rich in mannite, which is nearly as sweet as sugar. With all this however to sweeten it, it is not relished as food; indeed the Norwegians, we are told, esteem it so lightly that they call it Toll-tare, implying that it is fit food for the Fiend. But He who made all things very good, made it for good purposes. It is not despised by the farmer, who finds that it yields nourishment to his crops. It is a great favourite with some of the beautiful “minims of nature”, and the young naturalist will find that he is amply repaid for the careful examination of its fronds. Beautiful mollusks may be found gliding along them, and they are the fixed habitation of many zoophytes: Flustra membranacea covering it to a great extent with its fine, silvery, lace-like web.

“Huge Ocean shows, within his yellow strand, A habitation marvellously planned, 3 The seaweed that had washed ashore most frequently, when I recently visited Studland beach, was a brown kelp commonly called Furbelows, with the Latin name Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters. The interesting features of this common British brown alga (Phaeophyceae) are the odd bulbous hollow holdfast with its warty surface texture and ‘rootlets; and the curious thin, flat, wavy, and folded edges that project from the stem. Both of these characters are shown in close-up photographs here. I have also written about this species in earlier posts where you can find more information about FURBELOWS: . COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All Rights Reserved 7 Masses of the olive-green seaweed, commonly known as Thongweed, are a frequent sight on the seashores along the Jurassic Coast. The Latin name for this type of brown alga is Himanthalia elongata (Linnaeus) Gray. These tangled stringy heaps represent just a part of the whole seaweed.

They are the seasonally produced free-floating reproductive parts. They are cast off periodically from the longer-lived, fixed, part of this member of the group Phaeophycae. The perennial part is permanently fixed to the substrate in deep inter-tidal rock pools low on the shore or off-shore. It is not so frequently observed or recognised as the straps. The perennial part of the alga is surprisingly small given that the fertile straps can be more than two metres long. The plant starts off as a small club-shaped structure a few millimetres wide and attached by a short stalk to the rock. The swollen tip gradually enlarges and flattens out into a roughly circular, flattened disc about 30 mm wide with a dimpled or concave surface – resembling a button or mushroom. Photographs of this structure are shown above and below. They were found in pools on the rock platform at Winspit – near to extreme low tide – growing on Pink Paint (a calcareous encrusting alga) amongst Coral Weed and other filamentous red seaweeds. Two small bumps in the middle of the cupped surface indicate where the reproductive straps were once attached.

The long straps change from their original light olive green colour to a more yellowish shade with brown spots when they are ripe and ready to shed the reproductive products into the sea. This is shown in the photographs below. Thongweed has also been described in earlier posts. These include: 2 Is it Gracilaria verrucosa (Hudson) Papenfuss, or Gracilariopsis longissima (S.G.Gmelin) M.Steentoft, L.M.Irvine & W.F.Farnham – or something else? I’m a bit confused. To be honest, I am not absolutely certain of the identification of the seaweed in this post. I thought I was – but I have been looking at a lot of books, some of which were published a very long time ago. Now I have looked on-line as well and I am not so certain. This is because science marches on. Re-evaluation of taxonomic groupings take place in the light of new discoveries. Scientific names change accordingly. Former single species become subdivided into more than one species, or varieties of species, as our knowledge and techniques for investigation improve. Recent developments in DNA can throw light on the complexities in nature.

What once seemed fairly simple can turn out to be very complicated. That’s my excuse for uncertainty here. Although this seaweed found washed ashore at Studland Bay is mostly a light yellow-green, olive-green colour, it is actually a member of the red seaweed group or Rhodophycaea. You can see that some of the fronds are actually pink grading into green (photographs 4-6). Red seaweeds contain red pigment but also have green chlorophyll pigment; and the colour of the alga depends on the conditions of growth. This genus has separate male and female individuals, and it also reproduces asexually. This is the first time I have seen the seaweed bearing reproductive or fruiting bodies. The small dark pimples or tubercles, on the slender much-branched yellow green fronds of the first three photographs, are the fertile cystocarps of the female seaweed. This type of seaweed is an economically important agar producer. In South Australia during the Second World War large quantities of this abundantly-growing seaweed were harvested for use as a gelatine substitute in tinned meats.

In the Sydney area alone, 300 tons of weed, equating to 60 tons of agar, were collected annually (Dickinson, 1963, p 138). At the present time it continues to be grown and harvested for commercial use in the food industry. I found the following sources useful in my attempts to identify and understand this type of seaweed. SOURCE 1 A Popular History of British Seaweeds comprising their structure, fructification, specific characters, arrangement, and general distribution with notices of some of the Freshwater Algae, Rev. D. Landsborough, A.L.S., Third Edition, published in London, by Lovell Reeve, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, 1857. SOURCE 2 A handbook of the British Seaweeds, Lily Newton, Ph.D., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, University College, Aberystwyth, published in London by The Trustees of the British Museum, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, S.E.7, 1931. SOURCE 3 British Seaweeds, Carola I.

Dickinson, The Kew Series, published in London by Eyre & Spottiswode, 1963. SOURCE 4 Sea Shore of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins Pocket Guide, Peter Hayward, Tony Nelson-Smith & Chris Shields, published in London by HarperCollins, 1996, ISBN 0 00 219955 6. SOURCE 5 COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2011 All Rights Reserved

Question: What are, 'Oarweed', 'Furbelows' and 'Dabberlocks', types of?
Answer: SEAWEED