Phaeophyta - Brown Algae

Dr. Celia Smith's Reef Algae Website	Link to "Seaweeds of Hawaii" by W. H. Magruder and J. W. Hunt
Algae at Hanauma Bay	Derek Keats Phaeophyta

Diversity - Genera = 260 - Species = 2000

Color & Pigments

Chlorophyll a, c

Carotenoids

bCarotene

Fucoxanthin Absorbs in Green Region.

Cell Wall

The Cell Wall is composed of Cellulose and various Pectin-like compounds.

They contain various acidic & sulfated polysaccharides called "phycocolloids".

Alginic Acid and Fuccoidan are the most familiar. Algininc Acid can represent as much as 40% of the Biomass.

Occurrence

Sargassum

They are almost entirely Marine.

Four species are found in Fresh Water

They are most abundant in Colder Waters.

The Laminariales Predominate in N. Hemisphere while the Fucales Predominate S. Hemisphere

There are Few Large Species in Tropical Waters.

Sargassum is an exception. It is abundant in Tropical waters and has part of the Atlantic Ocean named after it (Sargasso Sea).

Their abundance is partly due to their floats which allow them to drift on the surface in ocean currents.

There are three local Sargassum species which are found in tide pools & wave-swept areas.