Aliens on our shores.....

....or at least occasionally if you'rer looking for seaweed. Professional algologist and Coastwise member Dr Sarah Hodgkiss gave other members a masterly overview of the seaweeds we can find and how to identify them.

Some are indicator species, such as the Spiral Wracks on the upper shore, the Bladder Wracks on the mid-shore and Serrated Wrack on the lower shore.

Then, in the water at low tide are the Kelps.

Each of these has its adaptations, such as the Fucus spiralis, where the spirals minimise water loss due their long exposure to the sun and wind, yet can survive regular loss of 70-80% of its water content.

Fucus vesicularis has a variation called linearis, which exists on exposed shore, where the lack of flotation bladders means that it does not float up and get battered by the sea states.

There are epiphytes growing on brown seaweeds, such as the Vertebrata linosa known as SeaTruffle, shown R.

Sarah also covered the brown and red seaweeds, which have a different, triphasic repreoductive cycle.

Overall, an excellent overview of the seaweeds, much appreciated by Coastwise members.

Her talk was recorded, and a YouTube link will be included here soon......