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EXPLORE > PLANTS > GYMNOSPERMS
Sargassum muticum
Sargassum is a common and widely-distributed form of algae. This plant-like organism is yellowish-brown in color and produces long stipes covered in numerous branches. The blades are small and elongated. Each branch will a have a single, rounded air vesicle, commonly known as a float, which helps hold the plant upright in the water and close to the sunlit surface. A holdfast anchors each stipe to the rocky bottom of the ocean, performing a function similar to that of a root ball in a terrestrial plant.
Because it is hearty and fast-growing, sargassum can quickly dominate an intertidal area and may force out many native plant species. It also poses a hazard to navigation and the thick, floating mats may clog intakes or jam propellers on smaller vessels. The Sargasso Sea, which is located near the Bermuda Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, is named after the plant due to its particular abundance in that region.
Although utilized more in Asia than in North America, sargassum can be rendered into a natural fertilizer. It is also used as a food in Japan where it is a common ingredient in soups and soy sauce.
Distribution
Sargassum is found all along the west coast, from Alaska to Baja California. It flourishes in intertidal zones up to 16 feet (5 m) deep.
Conservation Status
Common. Sargassum is an invasive species which was accidentally introduced to the west coast of North America from Japan in the 1930s. It most likely arrived through the importation of Japanese oysters and has since been found in the Atlantic Ocean as well. It is considered one of the most widely dispersed marine invasive species in the world and is often referred to as Japanese wireweed.
Sargassum muticum
Sargassum is a common and widely-distributed form of algae. This plant-like organism is yellowish-brown in color and produces long stipes covered in numerous branches. The blades are small and elongated. Each branch will a have a single, rounded air vesicle, commonly known as a float, which helps hold the plant upright in the water and close to the sunlit surface. A holdfast anchors each stipe to the rocky bottom of the ocean, performing a function similar to that of a root ball in a terrestrial plant.
Because it is hearty and fast-growing, sargassum can quickly dominate an intertidal area and may force out many native plant species. It also poses a hazard to navigation and the thick, floating mats may clog intakes or jam propellers on smaller vessels. The Sargasso Sea, which is located near the Bermuda Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, is named after the plant due to its particular abundance in that region.
Although utilized more in Asia than in North America, sargassum can be rendered into a natural fertilizer. It is also used as a food in Japan where it is a common ingredient in soups and soy sauce.
Distribution
Sargassum is found all along the west coast, from Alaska to Baja California. It flourishes in intertidal zones up to 16 feet (5 m) deep.
Conservation Status
Common. Sargassum is an invasive species which was accidentally introduced to the west coast of North America from Japan in the 1930s. It most likely arrived through the importation of Japanese oysters and has since been found in the Atlantic Ocean as well. It is considered one of the most widely dispersed marine invasive species in the world and is often referred to as Japanese wireweed.
