Prionitis lanceolata
Color: Red (Purple)
Shape: Branching
Texture: Smooth
Size: 10–15”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Bleach Weed
Bull Kelp, Bullwhip Kelp
Nereocyctis luetkeana
Color: Brown (Golden or Dark)
Shape: Branching, Tube-like
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 100’+
Zone: Subtidal
Range: Alaska to California
Dead Man’s Fingers, Sea Sac
Halosaccion glandiforme
Color: Red, Brown, Green (Dark Purple-Red to Golden Brown to Yellow-Green)
Shape: Pod-like
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 8”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to California
Dulse, Red Ribbon, Red Kale
Palmaria mollis
Color: Red
Shape: Irregular Blades
Texture: Smooth
Size: 8–10”
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Feather Boa
Egregia menziesii
Color: Brown (Olive)
Shape: Branching, Bushy
Texture: Bumpy
Size: Up to 30’+
Zone: Low Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: British Columbia to Mexico
Green Rope
Acrosiphonia mertensii
Color: Green
Shape: Rope-like
Texture: Furry
Size: Up to 10”+
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to California
Green String Lettuce
Enteromorpha linza
Color: Green (Bright)
Shape: Irregular Blade
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 20”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Green Tuft, Green Ball
Cladophora columbiana
Color: Green (Bright)
Shape: Carpet-like
Texture: Furry
Size: 2”
Zone: Upper Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Nori, Laver, Black Seaweed
Porphyra abbottae, Porphyra perforata and other similar species
Color: Brown (Greenish, Purpleish or Nearly Black)
Shape: Sheet
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 1’
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Rainbow-leaf, Splendid Iridescent Seaweed
Mazzaella splendens
Color: Red (Purpleish, Iridescent)
Shape: Sheet
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 3’+
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Red Cellophane
Porphyra cuneiformis
Color: Red
Shape: Sheet
Texture: Smooth (Silky)
Size: Up to 6”+
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to California
Red Spaghetti
Gracilariopsis sjoestedtii
Color: Red
Shape: Branching, Tube-like
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 3’
Zone: Intertidal
Range: British Columbia to Mexico
Rockweed, Bladderwrack, Popweed
Fucus gardneri
Color: Brown (Yellowish to Olive)
Shape: Branching, Pod-like
Texture: Bumpy
Size: Up to 2’
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to California
Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii
Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii
Color: Red
Shape: Branched
Texture: Bumpy, Bushy
Size: Up to 1’+
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Sargassum, Wireweed
Sargassum muticum
Color: Brown (Golden)
Shape: Branched (Profusely)
Texture: Bushy
Size: Up to 6’+
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Sea Cauliflower
Lethesia difformis
Color: Brown (Golden)
Shape: Pod-like
Texture: Bumpy
Size: Up to 6”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Sea Lettuce, Aosa, Green Laver
Ulva fenestrata, Ulva lactuca
Color: Green (Bright)
Shape: Sheet
Texture: Smooth, often with holes like Swiss-cheese
Size: 4–12”+
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to California (Ulva fenestrata), World-wide (Ulva lactuca and other species)
Soda Straws, Whip Tube
Scytosiphon simplicissimus
Color: Brown
Shape: Tube-like
Texture: Segmented
Size: Up to 2’
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to South America
Split Kelp
Laminaria bongardiana
Color: Brown (Dark)
Shape: Blade
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 6’
Zone: Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to California
Studded Sea Balloons
Soranthera ulvoidea
Color: Brown
Shape: Pod-like, hollow or filled with liquid
Texture: Bumpy
Size: 2–6”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to California
Sugar Kelp, Kombu, Sugar Wrack
Laminaria saccharina
Color: Brown
Shape: Blade
Texture: Smooth with Puckers
Size: Up to 6′
Zone: Lower intertidal to subtidal, semi-protected areas, rocky areas
Range: Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, California
Turkish Towel
Chondracanthus exasperatus
Color: Red (Dark red to purple when young, red to yellow when older, can be iridescent when wet.)
Shape: Irregular Blade
Texture: Bumpy
Size: 12–32”
Zone: Low intertidal and subtidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Turkish Washcloth
Mastocarpus papillatus
Color: Brown (Yellowish, Reddish, Black when Dry)
Shape: Irregular Blade
Texture: Bumpy
Size: Up to 6”
Zone: Intertidal
Range: Alaska to Mexico
Wakame, Strap Kelp, Winged Kelp, Honey Ware
Alaria marginata
Color: Brown (Carmel to Olive Green)
Shape: Blade
Texture: Smooth
Size: 2’–6’+
Zone: Low intertidal to subtidal
Range: Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California
Witch’s Hair, Acid Kelp
Desmarestia aculeata
Color: Brown
Shape: Branched, Bushy
Texture: Smooth
Size: Up to 3’+
Zone: Low Intertidal to Subtidal
Range: Alaska to Oregon