Seaweeds – marine Macroalgae• Threee types – red,
brown, and green algae• Most species are benthic• Can be fouling
communities – live on bulkheads, pilings or artificial surface
• Distinguished by the type of pigment used for photosynthesis and the composition of the cell wall.
• Abiotic factors – light, temp., tides, wave action, salinity, nutrients
• Chromatic adaptation – ability of plants to alter photosynthetic pigments in response to light conditions
• Perennials – live longer than a year
Red algae
• Mostly marine
• Epiphytes – live on other plants
• Adaptations to predation– Make thallus less edible
– Changing growing patters(out instead of up)
– Complex life cycles
• Uses– Agar culture material
– Thickening agents in foods and pharmaceuticals
– Carrageenan – binding agent in ice cream, pudding and salad dressing
– Cosmetics
– Sushi, soups and seasonings
– Animal feed
– fertilizer
Brown algae- kelp, sargassum • Mostly marine• Mostly benthic• Microscopic to 100
meters• Very defined holdfast,
stipe and blade• Gas filled bladders
• Uses– Thickening agents in
textiles, dental and cosmetics and food
– Human consumption
– Cattle feed
- thin, broad blades allow for floating on top of water where they can use light to photosynthesize
- anchors allow them to stay in one place and not float off to places where the conditions may not be as advantageous to their survival
- waxy blades prevent them from drying up
- pigment fucoxanthin well adapted for absorbing wavelengths of light in their environment to maximize efficiency of photosynthesis
- reproduction by flagellate spores allow offspring to be anchored in places where the environment is equally advantageous for their survival.
Brown algae- Adaptations
Kombu Japanese Kelp dish
an edible brown seaweed used, typically in dried form, in Chinese and Japanese cooking
Seaweed laid out for making Maki rolls