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 Algae & Kelp
Although a lot of people think of red and brown algae as
plants, many biologists include them in groups outside of the
kingdom Plantae. The green algae are still considered by many
to be part of the kingdom Plantae.
The body (thallus) of many large algae consists of: holdfast,
stipe, pneumatocyst, and blade.
Algae, at the base of the food chain, are important primary
producers. Some algae are of great economic importance as they
used to create many products we use daily. Some include ice cream,
cheese, rubber and latex products, pharmaceuticals and lotions
in cosmetics.
In Southern California intertidal, you will see the giant
brown kelp Macrocystis. Each section below will show you
examples of each type of kelp you may see in your visit to the
intertidal zone.
Kingdom Chromista - Phylum Phaeophyta - Brown
Algae
Kingdom Chromista - Phylum Rhodophyta - Red
Algae
Kingdom Plantae - Phylum Chlorophyta - Green
Algae
A very good informative site specializing in algae
can be found at
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