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May 2

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Places to Visit and Explore Nature in Stanley Park Ecosystem Guides: Marine Stanley Park Visitor Map: with Park Features, Trails, and Destinations Third Beach

Brown Seaweed There are wonderful days on the beach when a low tide is combined with sun and blue sky. On days like this, especially after strong wave action, the beach is littered with seaweeds washed onto the shore. Many of these come from the subtidal zone, the area below the level of the lowest tides. Their presence hints at the exotic world that exists just below the surface of the sea. I've spent many hours, beachcombing, looking for treasures washed up from the sea that I can admire, photograph, and investigate. Each time I do this I always come away amazed - like this time for instance. I suspect this organism is a type of brown seaweed. Its colour comes from a blend of pigments. Chlorophyll is present and its the same green pigment that land plants use in photosynthesis. But the key pigment in brown seaweeds, the one that gives them their distinctive tones which range from dull yellow, to brown, to black, is fucoxanthin. It is related to the xanthins that give land plants their fall colours. Nope, I can't tell you the name of this particular kind of brown seaweed. But I did come across one other fascinating piece of information about the brown seaweeds. Technically, they are not plants. Now that was a surprise to me! Louis Druehl in his book Pacific Seaweeds informs us that because their cells have flagella and other unique characteristics they more properly belong in the Protista. Not a plant, not an animal, but another form of life entirely.       Field Guide Entry: ----  Link to be added

Stanley Park Explorer http://www.stanleyparkexplorer.ca Produced by Peter Woods naturalist@stanleyparkexplorer.ca           Revised: May 20, 2011