''Lessonia trabeculata'' is a species of

kelp 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 "underwat ...

, a brown alga in the genus '' Lessonia''. It grows subtidally off the coasts of Peru and northern and central Chile, with the closely related ''

Lessonia nigrescens ''Lessonia nigrescens'', the grey weed or giant grey weed, is a South American kelp species in the genus '' Lessonia''. There is at least two populations of the seaweed, marked by the difference in phenolic content. There is a subtidal populatio ...

'' tending to form a separate zone intertidally. Lessonia trabeculata kelp have gained a great economic importance for alginate production, and its harvest has greatly intensified along the Chilean coast during past two decades

Description

This kelp can grow to a length of . It is distinguished from all other members of the genus by the presence of

trabecula A trabecula (plural trabeculae, from Latin for "small beam") is a small, often microscopic, tissue element in the form of a small beam, strut or rod that supports or anchors a framework of parts within a body or organ. A trabecula generally has ...

e (cross struts) in the hollow centres of the blades and stipes (stems), and by the massive and irregular holdfast by which the kelp is attached to the rocks.

Distribution and habitat

''Lessonia trabeculata'' occurs in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, in the

subtidal zone The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated ...

off the coasts of Peru and northern and central Chile. Its range extends from

Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. After the Spanish American wars ...

Puerto Montt Puerto Montt (Mapuche: Meli Pulli) is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago. The commune spa ...

and its depth range is between . It forms substantial stands, being found in rocky areas exposed or partially exposed to strong wave action. This species is replaced in the intertidal rocky areas by ''

'', and these two kelps dominate the habitat forming kelp forests. Further south in Chile, ''

Durvillaea antarctica ''Durvillaea antarctica'', also known as ' and ', is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp found on the coasts of Chile, southern New Zealand, and Macquarie Island.Smith, J.M.B. and Bayliss-Smith, T.P. (1998). Kelp-plucking: coastal eros ...

'' becomes the dominant species of kelp.

Ecology

''Lessonia trabeculata'' grows in areas with strong surges, however it can be torn off the rocks during storms such as those associated with

El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...

. It seems to have an annual cycle of growth, with the blade elongating fast during the summer, but growth slowing down in the autumn. It is possible to grow this species in the laboratory, and it may be suitable for

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

, with the aim of using it to repair damaged stands of kelp.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q29388204 Species described in 1826 trabeculata