Marine Algae of Fort Worden
Seaweeds |
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Scientific Name |
Common name |
Physical characteristics |
Uses/facts |
Brown Algae |
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Alaria marginata |
Winged kelp |
distinct mid rib large kelp |
edible, used as a soup base |
Costaria costata |
Seersucker |
looks like tire tread, seersucker |
may be 3 feet long |
Cymathere triplicata |
Triple rib |
three mid ribs |
distinct suction cup holdfast |
Desmarestia herbacea |
Wide color changer |
main blade with off shoot arms |
contains sulfuric acid |
Desmarestia intermedia |
Loose color changer |
thin filaments algae |
contains sulfuric acid |
Egregia menziesii |
Feather boa |
branches up to 10 m. long |
not collected as food |
Fucus furcatus |
Rock weed |
poppable floats, common |
found in the upper beaches |
Laminaria groenlandica |
Sea girdle |
thick blade, split at the top |
commercial iodine |
Laminaria saccharina |
Sugar wrack |
large blade, puckered along mid rib |
edible (sugar alcohol called mannitol) |
Nereocystis luetkeana |
Bull kelp |
large float and long stipe |
edible, floats used for oil storage |
Pleurophycus gardneri |
Sea spatula |
conspicuous midrib up to 4 cm |
edible, texture of rubber gloves |
Pterygophora californica |
Pompon |
large woody heavy algae |
may live 25 years |
Sargassum muticum |
Sargassum |
profusely branched up to 2m high |
only non-native seaweeds |
Sctosiphon lomentaria |
Whip tube |
long thin sausage like algae |
may appear green or golden |
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Green Algae |
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Enteromorpha intestinalis |
Link confetti |
bright green tubular branches |
found from Alaska to California |
Ulva fenestrata |
Sea lettuce |
wide blade bright green algae |
edible, used in salads |
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Red Algae |
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Botryoglossum farlowianum |
Curly edged algae |
medium branched red algae |
6 to 7 inches |
Calliathron sp. |
Coraline algae |
jointed in longer section |
seen washed ashore and bleached |
Corallina sp. |
Coraline algae |
stiff coated and jointed algae |
turns white when dead |
Delesseria decipiens |
Baron delessart |
highly branched ornate algae |
10 to 30 inches long |
Girgartina exasperata |
Turkish towel |
coarse, large blade |
looks like a towel |
Iridaea cordata |
Iridescent seaweed |
large bladed iridescent algae |
bright metallic hues underwater |
Laurencia spectabilis |
Sea laurel |
finely divided, blunt ends |
5-7 inches |
Microcladia coulteri |
Delicate sea lace |
fine filaments branches |
epiphytic on other algae |
Odonthalia floccosa |
Sea brush |
finely divided small algae |
overall length 15” |
Porphyra perforata |
Red laver |
grows in upper intertidal |
collected for food, Nori |
Sarcodiotheca furcata |
Red serving fork |
divided medium blades |
7 to 8 inches overall |