During rough seas, many seaweeds are wrenched from their under-water habitats and deposited on the beach. Other sea life is exposed to us at times of low tide, providing a wonderful opportunity to study and explore this fascinating aspect of nature.

Kelp are large, brown seaweeds. They are not plants, but algae. One of the fastest growing in the world is the Bull Kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. It is known to grow up to 18 inches (.5 metres) in a day and more than any other plant in a single season.

The roots of the Bull Kelp create a structure called a holdfast which, anchors the kelp rocks.

During times of strong tides and rough seas however, these too are swept up onto the shore.

The photograph on the left shows how long Bull Kelp grows from the holdfast on the rocks to the gas filled bladder. These bladder-type floats form at the base of leaf-like structures called blades which are the main body of the plant. The floats keep these blades close to the surface. The float can be seen in the picture on the right, just underneath the beginning of the blades growth.

Sugar Wrack is divided into three parts: the holdfast; the stalk and the blade (leaf). The blade grows from a usually short, smooth stalk, which is called a stipe (left image). The strong holdfast attaches the plant to rocks and shells, sometimes with several occupying the same rock (right image).

Sugar Wrack prefers sheltered areas where its blade does not get
battered by pounding waves.