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Tag: rocky intertidal

Intertidal Invasion

Intertidal Invasion

These days, with globalization driving long-distance dispersal of species ranging from fungi to insects to plants, the term “invasive species” gets used a lot. To me, there is a difference between “non-native” and “invasive”. Although both terms refer to an organism that was not found here prior to colonialism, the term “invasive” is typically reserved for organisms that have not only established outside their native range, but have thrived and spread to the point of being a nuisance and can…

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Knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum)

Knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum)

Many people think of seaweeds as simply plants that live in the sea. While many types of seaweed do have structures resembling the roots, stems and leaves of plants, and seaweeds do photosynthesize, technically seaweeds fall into an entirely different kingdom: Protista. Often referred to more scientifically as marine algae, seaweeds lack the specialized tissues found in plants responsible for transporting food and water.  In most field guides, seaweeds are divided into three main groups: green, brown and red. These…

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