Common Seaweeds of the Shore: Greens

Green seaweeds (Chlorophyta) occur across the shore and come in all shades of green which can become bleached in the sun.

Growth forms vary between filamentous branched forms, to laminar transparent sheet like forms.

There are over 100 species of green seaweed around the UK, many of which require specialized skills in taxonomy to identify. 

Below are images of some of the common species that you may encounter whilst rock pooling around the UK:

Ulva spp. have thin translucent green fronds that can be laminar sheets (sea lettuces) or be tubular (Gut weeds).  Ulva spp. occur throughout the shore and can become abundant in sheltered pools or where fresh water occurs on the shore.

Codium fragile is green with a spongy texture. It occurs in 

pools from the mid shore into the subtidal.

Cladophora spp. Comprise relatively small branched green seaweeds that occur in pools and into the subtidal. 

Tufty green seaweeds such as, Acrosiphonia arcta  occur on rock and in pools of the mid shore into the subtidal.

Greens in a shallow intertidal pool.