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Seaweed descriptions and pictures of seaweeds of the north-eastern Atlantic

Here is a selection of 250 or so of the larger seaweeds from the north-eastern Atlanic, many of which occur in Norway, Britain, Ireland, Atlantic France and Spain, and in Portugal. Web pages have so far been completed for those with links (underlined). Please be patient while the descriptions and pictures are refined.

Suggestions for additions and corrections to Michael Guiry. Where there is no common name in brackets, we have not discovered a suitable one. Most seaweeds with common names have several such names and these are not always known ourside local areas and countries.

Identification guide for selected marine non-native species (National Museum Wales). (Download free PDF, about 3.5 Mb).
Fact sheets for Irish Seaweeds (with common names agus logainmneacha Ghaeilge)

Brown algae (Kelps, wracks, etc.)

*=adventive (introduced) species, not always "invasive".


Red algae (Dulse, Carrageen Moss, etc.)

*=adventive (introduced) species

Green algae (Sea Lettuce, etc.)

*=adventive (introduced) species

 

Seagrasses (A flowering plant, not an alga)

  • Zostera marina (Eel Grass; Eelgrass; Seagrass)
  • Nanozostera noltei (Dwarf eelgrass)

Photographs on this page © M.D. Guiry

Zostera marina © M.D. Guiry
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  • Connemara Organic Seaweed CompanyConnemara Organic Seaweed Company provide hand harvested, sustainable, kelp and seaweed products for human consumption through health supplements and edible products.
  • Emerald Isle Organic Irish SeaweedEmerald Isle Organic Irish Seaweed. A family business producing seaweed as supplements, cooking, gardening and bath products.
  • Irish Seaweeds LtdIrish Seaweeds Ltd are suppliers of 100% natural hand-harvested seaweeds and edible sea vegetable products from Ireland.