Seaweeds of NYC

I recently got curious as to which species of marine macroalgae I have observed so far in NYC. Here is an attempt at a list. Nearly everything is from Randall's Island; other species have their localities listed. Warning: some of these IDs are only guesswork:

GREEN ALGAE
Sea Lettuce -- Ulva latuca
Gut Weed -- Ulva intestinalis
Other Sea Lettuces -- Ulva spp
Bryopsis sp.

BROWN ALGAE
Rock Weed -- Fucus distichus
Bladder Wrack -- Fucus vesiculosus
Ribbon Weed -- Punctaria plantaginea [Soundview Park] but in Spring 2019 I found it at Randalls
?Ectocarpus siliculosus? -- or something similar-looking which grows attached to hard substrate.

RED ALGAE
Grinnell's Pink Leaf -- Grinnellia americana
Agard's Red Weed -- Agardiella subulata
Irish moss -- Chondrus crispus
False Irish moss, aka Turkish Washcloth -- Mastocarpus stellatus
Red Puff Balls -- Spermothamnion repens
Rusty Rock -- Hildenbrandia rubrum
Gracilaria ?vermiculata [this one from Fort Tilden]

Added in Jan 2019: Landlady's Wig -- Ahnfeltia plicata

I hope to add more to this list and/or refine it as I go along. Maybe I can add some nicer images too.

Posted on November 12, 2018 01:09 AM by susanhewitt susanhewitt

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Algae (Phylum Chlorophyta)

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:02 PM EST

Description

Filamentous green algae.

Photos / Sounds

What

Agardh's Red Weed (Agardhiella subulata)

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:03 PM EST

Photos / Sounds

What

Grinnell's Pink Leaf (Grinnellia americana)

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:05 PM EST

Description

II assume that this is in the reproductive stage. I figure that why it has all those nodules over it.

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Algae (Phylum Chlorophyta)

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:07 PM EST

Photos / Sounds

What

Red Puff Ball (Spermothamnion repens)

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:00 PM EST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

susanhewitt

Date

November 4, 2018 01:08 PM EST

Comments

Wonderful! I love the common names of seaweeds too. :)

Posted by sambiology over 5 years ago

Thanks Sam. Yes some of the common names are really nice -- Grinnell's Pink Leaf is a good one.

Posted by susanhewitt over 5 years ago

Ah, in January 2019, @ginsengandsoon helped me find an additional species of red algae -- it was on the northern Harlem River beach on Randall's Island -- Landlady's Wig, aka Ahnfeltia plicata. I was pretty happy!

Posted by susanhewitt about 5 years ago

And now on Saturday April 27th 2019, during City Nature Challenge, I found Ribbon Weed on Randall's Island so I have amended that listing.

Posted by susanhewitt almost 5 years ago

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