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The bull kelp genus Durvillaea includes six species, some that have adapted buoyancy and others that have not. Those that have adapted buoyancy have done so thanks to the evolution of a gas filled structure called the pneumatocysts which is an adaptation that allows the kelp to float higher towards the surface to photosynthesize and also aids ...
Macrocystis is a monospecific genus [3] of kelp (large brown algae) with all species now synonymous with Macrocystis pyrifera. It is commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp. This genus contains the largest of all the Phaeophyceae or brown algae. Macrocystis has pneumatocysts at the base of its blades.
Laminaria is a genus of brown seaweed in the order Laminariales (kelp), comprising 31 species native to the north Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans. This economically important genus is characterized by long, leathery laminae and relatively large size.
Laminariaceae is a family of brown algal seaweeds, many genera of which are popularly called "kelp". The table indicates the genera within this family. [1] The family includes the largest known seaweeds: Nereocystis and Macrocystis. [2] [3]
The common name for Durvillaea is southern bull kelp, although this is often shortened to bull kelp, which can generate confusion with the North Pacific kelp species Nereocystis luetkeana. [8] [9] The genus is named after French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842). [10]
Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; other species, such as planktonic algae, play a vital role in capturing carbon and producing at least 50% of Earth's oxygen. [3] Natural seaweed ecosystems are sometimes under threat from human activity.
Alaria the second largest genus of Laminariales, with about 17 currently recognized species. However, due to its highly plastic morphology, the kelp has over 100 specific and subspecific names, which have arisen since it was first described in 1830. These synonyms have been tailored down to the present species through genetic comparisons. [7]
Nereocystis (Greek, 'mermaid's bladder') is a monotypic genus of subtidal kelp containing the species Nereocystis luetkeana. [1] Some English names include edible kelp, bull kelp, bullwhip kelp, ribbon kelp, bladder wrack, and variations of these names. [2]