Seaweeds found on Seashore of West Sligo

Click on the names to see and read about these seaweeds. Did you see any on your trip? Label your drawings.

Kelp Beds at Portavade showing the Kelp holfast fixing it to the rock.Tangle kelp belongs to a group of large brown seaweed called kelps. Found on the extreme lower part of the shore it is always covered by water except during extremely low tides. Slat mara is the stem of Oarweed (another name for Tangle Kelp). Iodine is extracted from it and it is used in some medicines. Farmers collect it and tie them with rope made of straw. When dried it is sold by weight. It is anchored to the sea floor by the holdfast. Top of Page

Dulse cannot survive drying out but can cope with low light levels. It is found on the lower shore growing on rocks. It is one of the many red seaweeds that can be dried and eaten.

Bladder wrack is seaweed that is mainly found on the middle of a rocky shore. It is olive green and it can grow from 15cm to 100cm. It has air bladders to help it float so that it can get food from the sun. Top of Page

The saw-like or serrated edge fo its frond gives this seawed its common name. It is olive green in colour and it is found on the lower shoreline wher its rough, flexible frond helps to reduce damage from waves. Its strong holdfast prevents it being washed away.

Egg wrack is a type of a brown seaweed.It is usually found on sheltered shores.It has a disc-like holdfast to grip the rock.It has long fronds that are slightly flattened and it has many branches. Its large oval air bladders grow along the frond singly. Hence the name egg wrack. Top of Page

Carrageen is a small red bushy seaweed.It was in the past often eaten by people for its healing properties and is a very common seaweed all along the western seaboard Top of Page

Sea Lettuce is normally found in the lower and subtidal zones. Its habitat is on rocks or in rockpools.Its colour is bright green and it can grow up to 40cm. It can also be found growing in large amounts.

Link Frond is a common seaweed,which is bright green in colour.It has delicate hollow fronds that have an inflated and crinkled appearance.Link frond is found in rockpools and under seaweed over whole shores,forming large blankets of cover.It is one of the few seaweeds that can survive in polluted water. Top of Page

Tangle Kelp	Seaweeds on Portavade Beach.		Carrageen Moss
Serrated Wrack	Egg Wrack		Bladder Wrack
Sea Lettuce	Gut Weed	Dulse