Kelps are large
brown algae
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and po ...
seaweed
Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
s that make up the
order Laminariales. There are about 30 different
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...
- it is a
heterokont
Heterokonts are a group of protists (formally referred to as Heterokonta, Heterokontae or Heterokontophyta). The group is a major line of eukaryotes. Most are algae, ranging from the giant multicellular kelp to the unicellular diatoms, which ...
, a completely unrelated group of organisms.
Kelp grows in "underwater
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s" (
kelp forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...
s) in shallow oceans, and is thought to have appeared in the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
, 5 to 23 million years ago. The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between . They are known for their high growth rate—the genera ''
Macrocystis
''Macrocystis'' is a monospecific genus of kelp (large brown algae). This genus contains the largest of all the phaeophyceae or brown algae. ''Macrocystis'' has pneumatocysts at the base of its blades. Sporophytes are perennial and the indi ...
'' and ''
Nereocystis'' can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching .
[Thomas, D. 2002. ''Seaweeds.'' The Natural History Museum, London, p. 15. ]
Through the 19th century, the word "kelp" was closely associated with seaweeds that could be burned to obtain
soda ash
Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...
(primarily sodium carbonate). The seaweeds used included species from both the orders Laminariales and
Fucales
The Fucales (fucoids) are an order in the brown algae (class Phaeophyceae). The list of families in the Fucales, as well as additional taxonomic information on algae, is publicly accessible at Algaebaseref name="Guiry and Guiry">Guiry, M.D. and ...
. The word "kelp" was also used directly to refer to these processed ashes.
Description
In most kelp, the thallus (or body) consists of flat or leaf-like structures known as blades. Blades originate from elongated stem-like structures, the stipes. The
holdfast, a root-like structure, anchors the kelp to the substrate of the ocean.
Gas-filled bladders (
pneumatocyst
In phycology, a pneumatocyst is a floating structure that contains gas found on brown seaweed. A seaweed's thallus may have more than one. They provide buoyancy to lift the blades toward the surface, allowing them to receive more sunlight for p ...
s) form at the base of blades of American species, such as ''Nereocystis lueteana,'' (Mert. & Post & Rupr.)
to hold the kelp blades close to the surface.
Growth and reproduction
![Kelp by Gustavo Gerdel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Kelp_by_Gustavo_Gerdel.jpg)
Growth occurs at the base of the
meristem
The meristem is a type of tissue found in plants. It consists of undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells) capable of cell division. Cells in the meristem can develop into all the other tissues and organs that occur in plants. These cells conti ...
, where the blades and stipe meet. Growth may be limited by grazing.
Sea urchins
Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...
, for example, can reduce entire areas to
urchin barrens
An urchin barren is an area of the shallow part of the ocean where the population growth of sea urchins has gone unchecked, causing destructive grazing of kelp forests.
Process
Sea urchins eat kelp holdfasts. This can be caused by a lack of se ...
. The kelp life cycle involves a
diploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...
sporophyte
A sporophyte () is the diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of a plant or alga which produces asexual spores. This stage alternates with a multicellular haploid gametophyte phase.
Life cycle
The sporophyte develops from the zygote pr ...
and haploid
gametophyte
A gametophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has on ...
stage. The haploid phase begins when the mature organism releases many spores, which then germinate to become male or female gametophytes.
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...
then results in the beginning of the diploid sporophyte stage, which will develop into a mature individual.
The parenchymatous thalli are generally covered with a mucilage layer, rather than cuticle.
Kelp forests
Kelp may develop dense forests with high production, biodiversity and ecological function. Along the Norwegian coast these forests cover 5800 km
2, and they support large numbers of animals. Numerous
sessile animals (sponges, bryozoans and ascidians) are found on kelp stipes and mobile invertebrate fauna are found in high densities on epiphytic algae on the kelp stipes and on kelp holdfasts. More than 100,000 mobile invertebrates per square meter are found on kelp stipes and holdfasts in well-developed kelp forests (Christie et al., 2003). While larger invertebrates and in particular sea urchins ''
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
''Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis'' is commonly known as the green sea urchin because of its characteristic green color. It is commonly found in northern waters all around the world including both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to a northerly ...
'' (O.F. Müller) are important secondary consumers controlling large barren ground areas on the Norwegian coast, they are scarce inside dense kelp forests.
Commercial uses
![Chowiet Island beach kelp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Chowiet_Island_beach_kelp.jpg)
Giant kelp can be harvested fairly easily because of its surface canopy and growth habit of staying in deeper water.
Kelp ash is rich in
iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...
and
alkali
In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a ...
. In great amount, kelp ash can be used in
soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
and
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
production. Until the
Leblanc process was commercialized in the early 19th century, burning of kelp in Scotland was one of the principal industrial sources of soda ash (predominantly
sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...
).
Around 23 tons of seaweed was required to produce 1 ton of kelp ash. The kelp ash would consist of around 5% sodium carbonate.
Once the
Leblanc Process became commercially viable in Britain during the 1820s, common salt replaced kelp ash as raw material for sodium carbonate. Though the price of kelp ash went into steep decline, seaweed remained the only commercial source of iodine. To supply the new industry in iodine synthesis, kelp ash production continued in some parts of West and North Scotland, North West Ireland and Guernsey. The species ''
Saccharina latissima
''Saccharina latissima'' is a brown alga (class Phaeophyceae), of the family Laminariaceae. It is known by the common names sugar kelp, sea belt, and Devil's apron, and is one of the species known to Japanese cuisine as kombu. It is found in the ...
'' yielded the greatest amount of iodine (between 10 and 15 lbs per ton) and was most abundant in Guernsey. Iodine was extracted from kelp ash using a
lixiviation process. As with sodium carbonate however, mineral sources eventually supplanted seaweed in iodine production.
Alginate
Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. With metals such as sodium and calcium, its salts are known as alginates. Its colour ...
, a kelp-derived carbohydrate, is used to thicken products such as
ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
,
jelly,
salad dressing
A salad dressing is a sauce for salads. Used on virtually all '' leafy salads'', dressings may also be used in making salads of beans (such as three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and antipasti, and forms of potato salad.
Salad dressing ...
, and
toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from the teeth, ...
, as well as an ingredient in exotic
dog food
Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of ca ...
and in manufactured goods. Alginate powder is also used frequently in general dentistry and orthodontics for making impressions of the upper and lower arches.
Kelp polysaccharides are used in skin care as gelling ingredients and because of the benefits provided by ''
fucoidan
Fucoidan is a long chain sulfated polysaccharide found in various species of brown algae. Commercially available fucoidan is commonly extracted from the seaweed species '' Fucus vesiculosus'', ''Cladosiphon okamuranus'', ''Laminaria japonica'' and ...
''.
Kombu
''Konbu'' (from ja, 昆布, konbu or kombu) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' ( ko, 다시마) or ''haidai'' ().
Kelp features in the diets of many ...
(昆布 in Japanese, and 海带 in Chinese, ''
Saccharina japonica
''Saccharina japonica'' is a marine species of the Phaeophyceae (brown algae) class, a type of kelp or seaweed, which is extensively cultivated on ropes between the seas of China, Japan and Korea. It has the common name sweet kelp. It is wi ...
'' and others), several Pacific species of kelp, is a very important ingredient in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. Kombu is used to flavor broths and stews (especially ''
dashi
is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. ''Dashi'' forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. ''Dashi'' is also mixed into the flour b ...
''), as a savory garnish (''tororo konbu'') for rice and other dishes, as a vegetable, and a primary ingredient in popular snacks (such as ''
tsukudani
is small seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin. As a flavorful accompaniment to plain rice, tsukudani is made salty enough to not go bad, allowing high osmotic pressure to preserve the ingredients from microbial ...
''). Transparent sheets of kelp (''oboro konbu'') are used as an edible decorative wrapping for rice and other foods.
Kombu can be used to soften beans during cooking, and to help convert indigestible sugars and thus reduce flatulence.
![Morskaja-kapusta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Morskaja-kapusta.jpg)
In Russia, especially in the
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
, and former Soviet Union countries several types of kelp are of commercial importance: ''
Saccharina latissima
''Saccharina latissima'' is a brown alga (class Phaeophyceae), of the family Laminariaceae. It is known by the common names sugar kelp, sea belt, and Devil's apron, and is one of the species known to Japanese cuisine as kombu. It is found in the ...
'', ''
Laminaria digitata
''Laminaria digitata'' is a large brown alga in the family Laminariaceae, also known by the common name oarweed. It is found in the sublittoral zone of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Description
''Laminaria digitata'' is a tough, leathery, dark ...
'', ''
Saccharina japonica
''Saccharina japonica'' is a marine species of the Phaeophyceae (brown algae) class, a type of kelp or seaweed, which is extensively cultivated on ropes between the seas of China, Japan and Korea. It has the common name sweet kelp. It is wi ...
''. Known locally as "Sea Cabbage" (Морская капуста in Russian), it comes in retail trade in dried or frozen, as well as in canned form and used as filler in different types of salads, soups and pastries.
Because of its high concentration of iodine, brown kelp (''
Laminaria
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relati ...
'') has been used to treat
goiter
A goitre, or goiter, is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly.
Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are caused by iodine deficiency. The term is ...
, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine, since medieval times. An intake of roughly 150 micrograms of iodine per day is beneficial for preventing hypothyroidism. Overconsumption can lead to kelp-induced
thyrotoxicosis
Hyperthyroidism is the condition that occurs due to excessive production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. Thyrotoxicosis is the condition that occurs due to excessive thyroid hormone of any cause and therefore includes hyperthyroidism. ...
.
In 2010, researchers found that
alginate
Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. With metals such as sodium and calcium, its salts are known as alginates. Its colour ...
, the
soluble fibre substance in sea kelp, was better at preventing fat absorption than most over-the-counter slimming treatments in laboratory trials. As a food additive, it may be used to reduce fat absorption and thus obesity. Kelp in its natural form has not yet been demonstrated to have such effects.
Kelp's rich iron content can help prevent iron deficiency.
Commercial production
Commercial production of kelp harvested from its natural habitat has taken place in Japan for over a century. Many countries today produce and consume laminaria products; the largest producer is China. ''
Laminaria japonica
''Saccharina japonica'' is a marine species of the Phaeophyceae (brown algae) class, a type of kelp or seaweed, which is extensively cultivated on ropes between the seas of China, Japan and Korea. It has the common name sweet kelp. It is widely ...
'', the important commercial seaweed, was first introduced into China in the late 1920s from Hokkaido, Japan. Yet
mariculture of this alga on a very large commercial scale was realized in China only in the 1950s. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, kelp production in China increased from about 60 to over 250,000 dry weight metric tons annually.
In history and culture
Some of the earliest evidence for human use of marine resources, coming from Middle Stone Age sites in South Africa, includes the harvesting of foods such as
abalone,
limpets
Limpets are a group of aquatic snails that exhibit a conical shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. Limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, but are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups called "limpets" descended indep ...
, and
mussels
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...
associated with kelp forest habitats.
In 2007, Erlandson et al. suggested that
kelp forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...
s around the Pacific Rim may have facilitated the dispersal of anatomically modern humans following a coastal route from Northeast Asia to the Americas. This "kelp highway hypothesis" suggested that highly productive kelp forests supported rich and diverse marine food webs in nearshore waters, including many types of fish, shellfish, birds, marine mammals, and seaweeds that were similar from Japan to California, Erlandson and his colleagues also argued that coastal kelp forests reduced wave energy and provided a linear dispersal corridor entirely at sea level, with few obstacles to maritime peoples. Archaeological evidence from California's Channel Islands confirms that islanders were harvesting kelp forest shellfish and fish, beginning as much as 12,000 years ago.
During the
Highland Clearances, many Scottish Highlanders were moved on to areas of estates known as
crofts, and went to industries such as fishing and kelping (producing soda ash from the ashes of kelp). At least until the 1840s, when there were steep falls in the price of kelp, landlords wanted to create pools of cheap or virtually free labour, supplied by families subsisting in new crofting townships. Kelp collection and processing was a very profitable way of using this labour, and landlords petitioned successfully for legislation designed to stop emigration. The profitability of kelp harvesting meant that landlords began to subdivide their land for small tenant kelpers, who could now afford higher rent than their gentleman farmer counterparts. But the economic collapse of the kelp industry in northern
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
during the 1820s led to further emigration, especially to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
Natives of the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...
are sometimes
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
d "
Kelpers". This designation is primarily
applied by outsiders rather than the natives themselves.
In Chinese
slang
Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...
, "kelp" (), is used to describe an unemployed returnee. It has negative overtones, implying the person is drifting aimlessly, and is also a homophonic expression (, literally "sea waiting"). This expression is contrasted with the employed returnee, having a dynamic ability to travel across the ocean: the "sea turtle" () and is also homophonic with another word (, literally "sea return").
Conservation
Overfishing nearshore ecosystems leads to the degradation of kelp forests. Herbivores are released from their usual population regulation, leading to over-grazing of kelp and other algae. This can quickly result in barren landscapes where only a small number of species can thrive.
[Dayton, P.K. 1985a. Ecology of kelp communities. ''Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics'' 16: 215-245.][Sala, E., C.F. Bourdouresque and M. Harmelin-Vivien. 1998. Fishing, trophic cascades, and the structure of algal assemblages: evaluation of an old but untested paradigm. ''Oikos'' 82: 425-439.] Other major factors which threaten kelp include
marine pollution
Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural and municipal solid waste, residential waste, particle (ecology), particles, noise, excess carbon dioxid ...
and the quality of water, climate changes and certain invasive species.
Gallery
File:Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) 01.jpg, Giant kelp
''Macrocystis pyrifera'', commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp, is a species of kelp (large brown algae), and one of four species in the genus ''Macrocystis''. Despite its appearance, it is not a plant; it is a heterokont. Giant kelp is ...
in Monterey Bay Aquarium's Kelp Forest exhibit
File:Scuba diver in kelp forest.jpg, Scuba diver in kelp forest
File:Blue Rockfish in kelp forest.jpg, Blue rockfish in kelp forest
File:Anemone and seastar in kelp forest.jpg, Anemone and seastar in kelp forest
File:Kelp forest-blue.jpg, An underwater shot of a kelp forest
File:KelpforestI2500ppx.JPG, A kelp forest
File:CLOSE UP OF ECKLONIA MAXIMA LEAF.jpg, A close up view of '' Ecklonia maxima,'' giant brown kelp
File:Kelpwik.jpg, Washed-up kelp found along the coast of La Jolla Shores
Prominent species
* Bull kelp, ''
Nereocystis luetkeana'', a northwestern American species. Used by coastal
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
to create
fishing net
A fishing net is a Net (device), net used for fishing. Nets are devices made from fibers woven in a grid-like structure. Some fishing nets are also called fish traps, for example #Fyke nets, fyke nets. Fishing nets are usually meshes formed by ...
s.
* Giant kelp, ''
Macrocystis pyrifera
''Macrocystis pyrifera'', commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp, is a species of kelp (large brown algae), and one of four species in the genus ''Macrocystis''. Despite its appearance, it is not a plant; it is a heterokont. Giant kelp is ...
'', the largest seaweed. Found in the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coast of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
.
*
Kombu
''Konbu'' (from ja, 昆布, konbu or kombu) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' ( ko, 다시마) or ''haidai'' ().
Kelp features in the diets of many ...
, ''
Saccharina japonica
''Saccharina japonica'' is a marine species of the Phaeophyceae (brown algae) class, a type of kelp or seaweed, which is extensively cultivated on ropes between the seas of China, Japan and Korea. It has the common name sweet kelp. It is wi ...
'' (formerly ''Laminaria japonica'') and others, several edible species of kelp found in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Species of ''Laminaria'' in the British Isles;
* ''
Laminaria digitata
''Laminaria digitata'' is a large brown alga in the family Laminariaceae, also known by the common name oarweed. It is found in the sublittoral zone of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Description
''Laminaria digitata'' is a tough, leathery, dark ...
'' (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux (Oarweed; Tangle)
* ''
Laminaria hyperborea
''Laminaria hyperborea'' is a species of large brown alga, a kelp in the family Laminariaceae, also known by the common names of tangle and cuvie. It is found in the sublittoral zone of the northern Atlantic Ocean. A variety, ''Laminaria hyperbo ...
'' (Gunnerus) Foslie (Curvie)
* ''
Laminaria ochroleuca'' Bachelot de la Pylaie
* ''
Saccharina latissima
''Saccharina latissima'' is a brown alga (class Phaeophyceae), of the family Laminariaceae. It is known by the common names sugar kelp, sea belt, and Devil's apron, and is one of the species known to Japanese cuisine as kombu. It is found in the ...
'' (Linnaeus) J.V.Lamouroux (sea belt; sugar kelp; sugarwack)
Species of ''
Laminaria
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relati ...
'' worldwide, listing of species at
AlgaeBase
AlgaeBase is a global species database of information on all groups of algae, both marine and freshwater, as well as sea-grass.
History
AlgaeBase began in March 1996, founded by Michael Guiry. Text was copied from this source, which is avai ...
:
* ''
Laminaria agardhii'' (NE.
America)
* ''
Laminaria bongardina'' Postels et Ruprecht (Bering Sea to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
)
* ''
Laminaria cuneifolia'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria dentigera
''Saccharina dentigera'' is a species of brown algae (class Phaeophyceae), in the family Laminariaceae. It is native to shallow water in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California.
Taxonomy
This seaweed was first ...
'' Klellm. (California - America)
* ''
Laminaria digitata
''Laminaria digitata'' is a large brown alga in the family Laminariaceae, also known by the common name oarweed. It is found in the sublittoral zone of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Description
''Laminaria digitata'' is a tough, leathery, dark ...
'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria ephemera'' Setchell (Sitka, Alaska, to Monterey County, California - America)
* ''
Laminaria farlowii'' Setchell (Santa Cruz, California, to Baja California - America)
* ''
Laminaria groenlandica
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relativ ...
'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria longicruris
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relativ ...
'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria nigripes'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria ontermedia'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria pallida'' Greville ex J. Agardh (
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
)
* ''
Laminaria platymeris
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relativ ...
'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria saccharina'' (Linnaeus) Lamouroux, synonym of ''
Saccharina latissima
''Saccharina latissima'' is a brown alga (class Phaeophyceae), of the family Laminariaceae. It is known by the common names sugar kelp, sea belt, and Devil's apron, and is one of the species known to Japanese cuisine as kombu. It is found in the ...
'' (north east Atlantic Ocean, Barents Sea south to Galicia - Spain)
* ''
Laminaria setchellii
''Laminaria'' is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relati ...
'' Silva (Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California America)
* ''
Laminaria sinclairii'' (Harvey ex Hooker f. ex Harvey) Farlow, Anderson et Eaton (Hope Island, British Columbia to Los Angeles, California - America)
* ''
Laminaria solidungula'' (NE. America)
* ''
Laminaria stenophylla'' (NE. America)
![Five-ribbed kelp (Costaria costata)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Five-ribbed_kelp_%28Costaria_costata%29.jpg)
Other species in the
Laminariales
Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms.
Kelp grows in "underw ...
that may be considered as kelp:
* ''
Alaria esculenta
''Alaria esculenta'' is an edible seaweed, also known as dabberlocks or badderlocks, or winged kelp. It is a traditional food along the coasts of the far north Atlantic Ocean. It may be eaten fresh or cooked in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and Ir ...
'' (North Atlantic)
* ''
Alaria marginata
''Alaria marginata'', the winged kelp, is a brown alga species in the genus '' Alaria''. It can grow up to 13 feet. Fronds are long and narrow with raised midrib and wavy edges. Each frond has two rows of several smooth, oblong, 5 inch spore-bear ...
'' Post. & Rupr. (Alaska and California -
America)
* ''
Costaria costata'' (C.Ag.) Saunders (Japan; Alaska, California - America)
* ''
Ecklonia brevipes'' J. Agardh (Australia; New Zealand)
* ''
Ecklonia maxima'' (Osbeck) Papenfuss (South Africa)
* ''
Ecklonia radiata'' (C.Agardh) J. Agardh (Australia; Tasmania; New Zealand; South Africa)
* ''
Eisenia arborea
''Eisenia arborea'', or the southern sea palm (not to be confused with the sea palm), is a dominant species of kelp that is found on the western Pacific coast of North America, from Vancouver Island, Canada south to Mexico's Magdalena Island (Mex ...
'' Aresch. (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Montrey, Santa Catalina Island, California - America)
* ''
Egregia menziesii
''Egregia menziesii'' is a species of kelp known commonly as feather boa kelp. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Egregia''. It is native to the coastline of western North America from Alaska to Baja California, where it is a com ...
'' (Turn.) Aresch.
* ''
Hedophyllum sessile (C.Ag.) Setch (Alaska, California - America)
* ''
Macrocystis pyrifera
''Macrocystis pyrifera'', commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp, is a species of kelp (large brown algae), and one of four species in the genus ''Macrocystis''. Despite its appearance, it is not a plant; it is a heterokont. Giant kelp is ...
'' (Linnaeus, C.Agardh) (Australia; Tasmania and South Africa)
* ''
Pleurophycus gardneri'' Setch. & Saund. (Alaska, California - America)
* ''
Pterygophora californica'' Rupr. (Vancouver Island, British Columbia to Bahia del Ropsario, Baja California and California - America)
Non-Laminariales species that may be considered as kelp:
* ''
Durvillea antarctica'',
Fucales
The Fucales (fucoids) are an order in the brown algae (class Phaeophyceae). The list of families in the Fucales, as well as additional taxonomic information on algae, is publicly accessible at Algaebaseref name="Guiry and Guiry">Guiry, M.D. and ...
(
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
)
* ''
Durvillea willana'', Fucales (New Zealand)
* ''Durvillaea potatorum'' (
Labillardière) Areschoug, Fucales (
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
; Australia)
Interactions
Some animals are named after the kelp, either because they inhabit the same
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
as kelp or because they feed on kelp. These include:
*
Northern kelp crab
''Pugettia producta'', known as the northern kelp crab or shield-backed kelp crab, is a species of crab in the family Epialtidae.
Distribution
Found along the Pacific Coast of North America from southern Alaska to northern Mexico.
Description ...
(''Pugettia producta'') and
graceful kelp crab (''Pugettia gracilis''), Pacific coast of North America.
*
Kelpfish (
blenny) (e.g., ''Heterosticbus rostratus'', genus ''
Gibbonsia
''Gibbonsia'' is a genus of clinids native to the eastern Pacific ocean. The name of this genus honours the American naturalist, physician and founder member of the California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a rese ...
''), Pacific coast of North America.
*
Kelp goose (kelp hen) (''Chloephaga hybrida''), South America and the Falkland Islands
*
Kelp pigeon (sheathbill) (''Chionis alba'' and ''Chionis minor''), Antarctic
See also
*
*
* '
*
*
*
Aquaculture of giant kelp
References
Further reading
* Druehl, L.D. 1988. Cultivated edible kelp. ''in'' ''Algae and Human Affairs.'' Lembi, C.A. and Waaland, J.R. (Editors) 1988..
* Erlandson, J.M., M.H. Graham, B.J. Bourque, D. Corbett, J.A. Estes, & R.S. Steneck. 2007. The Kelp Highway hypothesis: marine ecology, the coastal migration theory, and the peopling of the Americas. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 2:161-174.
* Eger, A. M., Layton, C., McHugh, T. A, Gleason, M., and Eddy, N. (2022)
Kelp Restoration Guidebook: Lessons Learned from Kelp Projects Around the World.The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA.
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Edible seaweeds
Seaweeds