Rockweed, Fucus gardneri
In previous posts, Eelgrass in the Wrack and Turkish Towel, I’ve written about plants and marine algae that commonly wash up on sandy beaches, even though they live elsewhere. Rockweed, Fucus gardneri, is another example. Rockweed normally lives attached to rocky intertidal substrates (they don’t call it rockweed for nothing) in habitats ranging from estuaries to the open coast. The photo above shows what a clump of rockweed looks like it looks like when it’s freshly deposited on the beach.
Rockweed, Fucus gardneri, and sea lettuce, Ulva
In sheltered settings , as in the above photo, rockweed can form a profuse carpet of summer growth, a condition it rarely achieves on the surf-swept rocks of the exposed outer shores.
Rockweed, Fucus gardneri
Here, rockweed is shown submerged at high tide. Note the periwinkles, small snails, in the lower left-hand corner. Fucus is a favorite food of periwinkles, so they are frequently found together.
Rockweed, Fucus gardneri
Above is an exposed clump of Fucus at low tide. The expanded branch tips are where the reproductive structures reside. These hollow expanded regions are responsible for rockweed’s other common names, bladderwrack and popping weed. If you want to learn more about Fucus gardneri, checkout the accounts in Seaweeds and Seagrasses Between the Capes and Seaweeds of Alaska.
