s A Field Guide to the British Seaweeds - NMBAQC

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2. IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIMENS All specimens should be laid out in large sorting trays where fronds and fine filamentous structures can be separated out and become more visible, this may be assisted by placing small amounts in a petri dish and examining under low magnification (dissecting microscope). Mats of algae need to be carefully separated and pulled apart so that all species can be identified. For more detailed examination using a compound microscope, particularly of small filamentous and microscopic species, a small amount of the specimen may be removed and placed on a glass slide with a little water and glass cover slip laid over the top. Microscopic examination is usually necessary to identify many of the larger filamentous species and to find and identify the smaller ones that may live inside or attached to larger ones. Although identification of all species from the reduced species list can be achieved using this key, it may be necessary to confirm with descriptions and pictures from alternative keys. It is generally advisable to confirm all species identification with the appropriate guides and keys even those species that have been identified in the field. There is an amazing range of seaweed forms some of which can only be found by detailed field searching or under the microscope. But it is these morphological characteristics that are essential for identification. Some species may have their colour masked by an excess of other pigments – the red Porphyra usually looks brown, brown fucoids may sometimes appear green, old tips of Dumontia turn green, Ahnfeltia appears black as do some species of Polysiphonia. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of some of these pigment discrepancies before identification starts as this may lead to the use of the wrong key. Reduced species list identification guide as required by the Water Framework Directive 11
The varieties of algae forms are briefly described with microscopic and field photos to illustrate such forms: • Filaments – a linear group of cells joined at their walls or a chain of cells o branched or unbranched o uniseriate (one cell thick) and multiseriate or monosiphonous filaments which may be covered with many smaller cells (> 1 cell thick/wide) Cells Uniseriate Multiseriate o macroscopic (large filaments visible with the naked eye) or microscopic (requires magnification) o free-living on rock or endophytic, endozoic, epiphytic (as described in above section) • Pseudoparenchymatous forms (growing by aggregation of filaments) or parenchymatous (composed of a mass of cells growing by cell division in 2 or more planes), multiseriate: o Tubular – may appear flat as often sides are often compressed together giving the appearance of a ribbon shaped foliose plant. Mass of cells Ribbons Reduced species list identification guide as required by the Water Framework Directive 12
Page 1 and 2: A Field Guide to the British Seawee
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTION The EU Water Framework
Page 5 and 6: - Turfs of mixed species including
Page 7 and 8: Some species have distinct vertical
Page 9 and 10: Table 1: Field sampling sheet to re
Page 11: Table 2: Species lists for each of
Page 15 and 16: Special features that need to be co
Page 17 and 18: • Reproductive structures - these
Page 19 and 20: Axial cell • Distal- Towards the
Page 21 and 22: A FIELD KEY TO THE BRITISH SEAWEEDS
Page 23 and 24: Rhodophyta The red algae exhibit a
Page 25 and 26: Group A 1. Plants completely flatte
Page 27 and 28: Phaeophyta Species Group A Plants a
Page 29 and 30: 8. Thallus consisting of a large wi
Page 31 and 32: Group D 1. Plant dichotomously bran
Page 33 and 34: Group A 1. Plant calcareous……
Page 35 and 36: 10. Plant completely flattened ofte
Page 37 and 38: 11. Plant black and wiry with disc-
Page 39 and 40: 3. Plant generally found attached t
Page 41 and 42: Browns Alaria esculenta Ascophyllum
Page 43 and 44: Ceramium nodulosum Ceramium shuttle
Page 45 and 46: Polysiphonia fucoides Polysiphonia
Page 47 and 48: Blidingia sp. This is a tubular and
Page 49 and 50: Chaetomorpha linum This is an unbra
Page 51 and 52: Chaetomorpha melagonium This is an
Page 53 and 54: Enteromorpha sp. A tubular plant wh
Page 55 and 56: Rhizoclonium tortuosum Plant consis
Page 57 and 58: Sykidion moorei Plant consisting of
Page 59: Ulva lactuca A flat foliose plant t
Page 62 and 63:
Ascophyllum nodosum Frond very long
Page 64 and 65:
Chordaria flagelliformis Plant ofte
Page 66 and 67:
Desmarestia aculeata Frond often qu
Page 68 and 69:
Ectocarpus sp. Fine filamentous for
Page 70 and 71:
Fucus sp. Plants tough, cartilagino
Page 72 and 73:
Laminaria sp. Thick leathery, very
Page 74 and 75:
Litosiphon laminariae Epiphytic pla
Page 76 and 77:
Pilayella littoralis Fine filamento
Page 78 and 79:
Scytosiphon lomentaria Plant charac
Page 80 and 81:
Spongonema tomentosum Fine and fila
Page 82 and 83:
Ahnfeltia plicata Plant completely
Page 84 and 85:
Calcareous encrusters Calcareous en
Page 86 and 87:
Ceramium nodulosum This is a highly
Page 88 and 89:
Chondrus crispus This species is ca
Page 90 and 91:
Cystoclonium purpureum This is a fi
Page 92 and 93:
Erythrotrichia carnea This is a sma
Page 94 and 95:
Gelidium sp. Gracilaria gracilis Sp
Page 96 and 97:
Heterosiphonia plumosa Plant filame
Page 98 and 99:
Lomentaria clavellosa This plant is
Page 100 and 101:
Hypoglossum hypoglossoides This spe
Page 102 and 103:
Melobesia membrancea This is a smal
Page 104 and 105:
Osmundea hybrida and Osmundea pinna
Page 106 and 107:
Phyllophora sp. Plant tough, cartil
Page 108 and 109:
Polysiphonia fucoides Plants are ge
Page 110 and 111:
Porphyra species These plants are f
Page 112:
Rhodothamniella floridula This plan
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