Seaweed - Western Isles - Photo & Information
The Western Isles had a great diversity of seaweed. There are so many different types to be seen in and around all the Hebrides Beaches. Vivid reds, orange and white seaweed, through to bladder wrack and lovely yellow seaweed
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Seaweed - Marine Algae
Western Isles - Seaweeds like those found throughout the world's oceans and seas really are very pretty. It is now known that some seaweeds are poisonous. Seaweed is like an underwater weed. Seaweed grows freely and often times plentiful, but it is used for many things and is not a weed at all. Seaweed has many plant-like features but it really isn't a true plants - seaweed are are marine algaes. They can have quite complicated structure - Whilst referred to often as plants, many scientists group them with single celled algae.
Seaweed Absorbs Fluids and Nutrients
With all parts of a seaweed in direct contact with the water, seaweed can absorb fluids, nutrients, and gases directly from the water and do not need an internal conducting system.
Used for Fertilisers - Food - Medicines
Most animal life in the ocean is in some way linked to marine plants and seaweeds are essential to ocean health. Some 400 different species of seaweeds around the world are used by people for food, stock feed, medicines and fertilisers.
Oxygen Giving - Photosynthesis
Seaweed contributes oxygen through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis takes place in the flat leaf-like parts (or blades) in those seaweeds that contain chlorophyll.
Three Basic Colours
There are three basic colours of seaweed, red, green and brown. There are two major categories of seaweed - kelp and wracks.
Reproduction
Some of the simpler seaweeds reproduce like bacteria, by dividing without fertilization. Other types release fertilized spores into the water, which grow into seaweed and there are some which reproduce sexually and others reproduce when strands break off and grow new plants.
