17. Hypnea musciformis SEA GRASSES IDENTIFICATION GUIDE What is algae and why is it important? FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY Red, red-brown, Sea grasses are grass-like fowering plants that live • Algae are not true plants, but a large and diverse orange-brown, often completely submerged in marine and estuary waters. group of eukaryotic (complex-celled) photosynthetic tangled. Branches Sea grasses occur in protected bays and lagoons and organisms. Tey provide food and shelter for many ALGAE sparse, wiry, with also in deeper waters along the continental shelf of aquatic animals including small curved, hook-like Florida. fsh, crabs and shrimp. tips. Te hook tips • Algae drifting and washing ashore is a natural IDENTIFICATION are fattened while the A. Syringodium filiforme Manatee Grass process. branches are rounded. Elongated, cylindrical • Seagrasses are plants and not algae. leaves. Similar to GUIDE How to report an algae event: 18. Lomentaria baileyana spaghetti. • Call 239-745-3052 to report large mats of algae Pink-red, green, to that have washed ashore. red-purple, tangled and soft. Branches • On the phone recording, report the following sparse, delicate, information: uneven, rounded, B. Thalassia testudinum Turtle Grass • Where did you find the algae? You may report with tapering, blunt Elongated, fat a close public beach access, address or tips. blade leaves. description of location. Similar to • Day and time: fettuccini pasta. • How much? • How large an area is covered by algae? 19. Sargassum flipendula • How deep is the algal mat? Green, brown-green, • Based on this FGCU Seaweed Identification to tan. Te tough, Guide, state which algae number located next to wiry, stem has few its photo you believe it to be. You are welcome to branches, but has C. Halodule wrightii Shoal Grass offer 2 or 3 best guesses if it helps!!! Please note, regularly spaced long sometimes colorful algae will sun bleach to white Length usually narrow blade-like or opaque. “leaves” and grape- less than 6”, thin, Te content of this guide was created with the help of like, air flled vesicles. fat blades. Can be distinguished from FGCU’s Bob Wasno, Katie McFarland & Taylor Walker Manatee Grass by Cover photo and brochure design by FGCU’s James Greco 20. Ulva lactuca having fat versus Green to bright or neon cylindrical blades. green, soft, and slippery. Te lettuce-like structure is thin, rufed, and Halophila engelmannii Stargrass delicate. Often occurring Tese are smaller, more in lettuce head-like fragile sea grasses. Only VESTER FIELD STATION clumps but can occur as limited information Florida Gulf Coast University single rufed layer. about them exists, 10501 FGCU Blvd, S., Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565 The works of Dawes, Mathieson, and the Littlers were used as references although surveys are www.fgcu.edu/vestermarine for the algal descriptions. Sources: Dawes C. J, Mathieson C. 2008. The seaweeds of Florida. Gainesville: University Florida Press. 591 p. Littler underway to defne www.fgcu.edu/cwi D. S, Littler M. M, 2000. Caribbean reef plants. Washington D.C.: Ofshore their ecological role. Funding provided by West Coast Inland VESTER FIELD STATION Graphics. 541 p. Navigation District www.wcind.net -11 FLORID A GULF CO AST UNIVERSIT Y | ALGAE IDENTIFIC ATION GUIDE 1. Agardhiella subulata 5. Solieria filiformis 9. Gracilaria mammillaris 13. Champia parvula Deep red in color, Pink-red to deep Dark red to red- Red, red-brown, to stems are round, red, bushy, and brown, bushy and brown, delicate, jelly- slippery, and frm. densely branched. tough. Te main like, and slippery. Te Branches are pinched Branches are feshy, branches are fattened branches are short, or tapered at base pointed at the tips, and strap-like, with slightly fattened and pointed at the and sharply tapered tips divided into two or rounded, and tips. at the base. or more hornlike covered in band-like sections. constrictions.

2. Agardhiella ramosissima 6. Botryocladia occidentalis 10. Gracilaria tikvahiae 14. Caulerpa racemosa Plant pinkish-red Red to orange- Red, red-brown, or Commonly called to brown, with very brown, main stem green-brown with “sea grapes”. Green fat, strap-like stems tough and wiry. many rounded to in color, distinguished and branches. Te Branches covered partially fattened by spherical smallest branches with oblong, oval branches. Branches branchlets (“grapes”) are rounded and not shaped, grape like are delicate, slippery arising from a fattened. clusters that appear and sharply pointed. horizontal runner to be flled with air. (stolon).

3. Gracilaria blodgettii 7. Dasya ramosissima 11. Caulerpa sertularioides 15. Dictyota cervicornis Red to brownish, with Red to red-brown, Fern-like, green to light green, Light green to many, rounded, tough, bushy, fufy, and branches feather or fern-shaped, olive green, densely slippery branches. soft. Branches are and sparse. Te main stem of branched. Branches Te tips of branches dense, very delicate, the algae is darker colored, extend at wide angles are often very tapered and covered with wiry, and tough. Te branches from the main stem, and pointed; older many fne feathery are more stretched out and are fattened, spiraled, specimen may have hair like flaments. elongated than the Caulerpa and have branching blunt tips. mexicana variety. antler-like tips.

4. Eucheuma isiforme 8. Acanthophora spicifera 12. Caulerpa mexicana 16. Hincksia mitchelliae Gold, red, or red- Sandy to red-brown Green to light green, Deep red in color, brown. Branches are with few branches. delicate, creeping stems are round, sparse, tough, frm Branches are plant. Branches fern or slippery, and frm. and cartilaginous. rounded and covered feather-shaped shorter Branches are pinched Te main stem of the with spiny, spur-like and more compressed or tapered at base and plant is often wider projections. than Caulerpa pointed at the tips or swollen at the sertularioides. base.

If you have any information about algae washing up on the beach, call this number: 239-745-3052. Please report the types of algae seen, (according to this guide) as well as, date, time, general location, and approximate size of the algae event.