Brown seaweeds AIDGAP
(Phaeophyta)
Brown seaweeds AIDGAP will help non-specialists to identify the larger brown seaweeds around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.
- Enables species-level identification from living specimens on the shore (where possible)
- Illustrated with line drawings throughout
The author has included littoral, sublittoral and rare species. Numerous thumbnail drawings appear in the keys to help ease-of-use. All seaweeds are fully illustrated. Introductory text describes the ecology of brown seaweeds, and will help with interpreting patterns of distribution on the seashore.
Seaweeds are macroscopic algae and are common at the coast, especially on rocky shores. The larger (or macroscopic) seaweeds are often classified into three groups: green, brown and red seaweeds. The brown seaweeds come in many shades of brown between golden to very dark. Well-known groups and species include wracks, kelps, sugar kelp, thongweed, dabberlocks, sea oak and wireweed.
The guide also includes a special section on the identification of wracks, as these species are highly variable in form and may be poorly developed.
This guide is part of the FSC’s AIDGAP series (Aids to Identification in Difficult Groups of Animals and Plants). Our AIDGAP guides are accessible identification keys, suitable for non-specialists from age 16+. Since 1976 the project has produced over 40 keys to many different groups. As with all guides in the series, the guide underwent extensive testing before publication, by beginners and specialists alike. The author revised the key in the light of the testers’ experience.