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Browns Put on a Shine in the Drift Line

The crows and gulls weren’t complaining. They didn’t ask what subtidal force mobilized such a large quantity of fresh material. High tide left a drift line littered with macroalgal debris. Drizzle and a chilly south wind made gloomy conditions for foraging and beachcombing.

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Abundance in the drift line | September 23, 2016

I didn’t notice the shine until I looked through the photos of my finds from the day. Brown algae have smooth blades that shine even when the sun doesn’t. Below are six species, each with their own shine.

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Old growth kelp, Pterygophora californica
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Strap kelp, Lessoniopsis littoralis
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Winged kelp, Alaria marginata
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A mystery brown with shiny blistered blades
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Sprophylls, Pterygophora californica
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Sea cabbage, Saccharina sessilis
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The only Shine on feather boa is the gas-filled pneumatocyst (center just below the stipe)

The September 23, 2016 drift line was diverse. If you want to see more browns and other  low intertidal and subtidal algae, plants, and animals from this unusual beach cast event, click on Wrack Line 2016.

Shine


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