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Hollow Green Weed - Ulva/Enteromorpha intestinalis
This seaweed is very intestine-like and so awesome! They have oxygen bubbles inside their tubes, which are produced through photosynthesis and then are released into the water
Habitat: Upper high tide pools on rock cliffs along the coast (Giant Steps)
"Ulva intestinalis" is a green alga in the family Ulvaceae, known by the common names sea lettuce, gutweed and grass kelp. Until they were reclassified by genetic work completed in the early 2000s, the tubular members of the sea lettuce genus "Ulva" were placed in the genus "Enteromorpha".
Similar species: Ulvales
By Christine Young
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Uploaded Jun 21, 2019. Captured Jun 17, 2019 07:50 in 2104 Harpswell Islands Rd, Bailey Island, ME 04003, USA.
comments (7)
Ulva intestinalis, aka gutweed, bears a striking resemblance to what I would imagine alien intestines to look like. This gorgeous, intestine-like seaweed can be found worldwide. It is a very important component of the rocky shore ecosystem as it is a primary producer, which means that it is on the bottom of the food chain and gets its energy via photosynthesis. Gutweed is a long seaweed with hollow tubes in which you can see bubbles trapped inside. These oxygen bubbles are produced through photosynthesis and help the seaweed float, in addition to adding extra oxygen to the water. As a very fast-growing species, gutweed is helpful in detecting changes to the quality of the water. For example, if there are added nutrients in the water from pollution, gutweed will grow unusually fast, thus alerting scientists to a possible algal bloom, which can be very harmful to the ecosystem. Weird, useful, and beautiful—gutweed is fantastic! {Spotted in Maine, USA by JungleDragon moderator, Christine Young} #JungleDragon Posted 4 years ago