Ulva

Common Name: Ulva

Scientific Name: Ulva spp (multiple species)

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family: Plantae, Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae, Ulvales, Ulvaceae

Habitat: Rocks, free floating, near brackish water and freshwater seeps

Range: Chukchi Sea, Alaska to Sonora, Mexico

Identification: Yellow-green, hollow, wrinkles, slender blades, ~20 cm long

Fact: Grass weed provides a food source to many marine animals and can be a habitat in which animals find shelter. It is an opportunistic algae that can have large blooms. In some cases, these blooms cause ecological concerns in estuaries because they can lower the quality of habitat reducing ecosystem functions.