Common seaweeds of UK rocky shores

Seaweeds are found predominantly on hard substrate around the UK, they can be both intertidal (i.e. grow on the shore between the low water and high water mark), or subtidal (i.e. below the low water mark, and are only visible during spring tides). There are many different species, too many of which to cover in a single video, and the number of species is increasing as we find new ones or we discover what we once thought was one species is in fact now two. If you are interested in more detailed lectures on seaweeds, then you can check out my Lecture Extra on Seaweed Physiology and Behaviour (a second year module).

In this session (very rough and quickly put together), I present some very basic seaweed identification from UK rocky shores. I cover the species listed below, a rudimentary understanding of these species is required for future field practicals on rocky shores, including the Bangor University modules Marine Ecology, Intertidal Field Project and Marine Biology Practical 2.

• Reds
  • Mastocarpus stellatus Marlin
  • Chondrus crispus Marlin
  • Porphyra purpurea AlgaeBase
  • Corallina officinalis Marlin
• Greens
  • Ulva intestinalis Marlin
  • Ulva lactuca Marlin
  • Cladophora rupestris Marlin
• Browns
  • Fucus spiralis Marlin
  • Fucus serratus Marlin
  • Fucus vesiculosus Marlin
  • Pelvetia canaliculata Marlin
  • Ascophyllum nodosum Marlin
  • Laminaria digitata Marlin
  • Saccharina latissima Marlin