The seabed is a mysterious and beautiful world, where there are all kinds of creatures, including seabed plants. Seabed plants not only provide important energy and materials for the marine ecosystem, but also have many amazing characteristics and functions. This article will introduce you to ten common seabed plants, so that you can understand their morphology, habits and value.
- Boshidan
Boshidan (seaweed) is a large brown algae distributed in tropical and subtropical waters. Its stems can be as long as tens of meters, forming a forest on the seabed. The leaves of Boshidan have air sacs that allow it to float on the water surface and receive light. Boshidan is an important carbon-fixing plant that can absorb a large amount of carbon dioxide and slow down global warming. Boshidan is also a habitat and food source for many marine animals, such as fish, crustaceans, and turtles.
2.Gelidium agar
Gelidium agar is a red algae distributed all over the world. Its body color varies from red, purple, green, etc. The characteristic of Gelidium agar is that its cell wall contains a large amount of lime, which makes its surface hard and smooth, like small stones. Gelidium agar can attach to hard substrates such as rocks and corals to form a beautiful landscape. Agar is also an edible seaweed, rich in trace elements such as calcium, iodine, and iron, which is beneficial to human health.
3.Kelp
Kelp is a brown algae widely distributed in temperate and cold waters. Its leaves can be several meters long and are ribbon-shaped or feather-shaped. Kelp is a high-yield seaweed that can grow and reproduce rapidly, providing a large amount of organic matter for the marine ecosystem. Kelp is also a seaweed with high economic value and can be used as food, fertilizer, industrial raw materials and other purposes. Kelp is rich in minerals such as iodine, potassium, calcium and various vitamins, which are beneficial to the human body.
4.Red algae
Red algae is a class of seaweed that includes many types and forms. Their common feature is that their chloroplasts contain red auxiliary pigments, which make them appear red or purple. Red algae is a highly adaptable seaweed that can grow at different depths and light conditions, and can even grow in extreme environments such as high temperature, high salt, and high pressure. Red algae is also a seaweed with multiple functions and values, which can be used in food, medicine, cosmetics, biofuels and other fields.
5.Wakame
Wakame is a brown algae distributed along the coast of the North Pacific Ocean. Its leaves are very wide and long, like strips of skirts, and can reach more than 20 meters. Wakame is an important marine resource. It can provide shelter and food for marine life, and can also be used as food and medicine for humans. Wakame contains a variety of nutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, etc. It also contains a substance called hydrogen-rich polysaccharide, which can inhibit the growth of tumors.
6.Chlorella
Chlorella is an algae plant distributed in various seas and belongs to the Chlorophyta. It is characterized by a pigment called chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, which makes it appear green. Chlorella has various forms, some like filaments, some like spheres, some like nets, and some like feathers. Chlorella can reproduce sexually through spores or gametes, and can also reproduce asexually through division or trophic bodies. Chlorella is an important edible seaweed, rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and a variety of vitamins, which helps to enhance human immunity and anti-oxidation. Green algae can also be used as industrial raw materials to extract chlorophyll for the manufacture of food, cosmetics, medicines and other products.
7.Seaweed
Seaweed refers to a type of higher plant that grows in the sand and mud on the seabed. They have a complete root, stem and leaf system and can bloom and bear fruit. Seaweed is a rare and precious marine resource. They constitute the submarine grassland and provide an important habitat and food source for marine life. Seaweed is also a plant with multiple functions and values. It can be used in food, feed, fertilizer, textiles, biodegradable materials and other aspects
8.Nori
Nori is a red algae distributed all over the world. Its body color varies from purple, black, green and other colors. Nori is a high-yield and easy-to-cultivate seaweed and is one of the favorite foods of the Chinese people. Nori is rich in trace elements such as protein, iodine, iron and multiple vitamins, which are beneficial to the human body. Nori also has health-care effects such as anti-oxidation, lowering blood pressure and lowering blood lipids.
9.Gracilaria
Gracilaria is an algae plant distributed in temperate and cold waters. It is characterized by a slender and branched stem with small leaves on it, shaped like a bunch of dragon’s beards. Graminaria can reproduce sexually through spores or gametes, or asexually through stem tips or internodes. Graminaria is a delicious and nutritious edible seaweed, rich in protein, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium and other minerals and multiple vitamins, which helps to enhance human immunity and anti-oxidation. Graminaria can also be used as an industrial raw material to extract a substance called mannitol, which is used to make food, cosmetics, medicines and other products.
10.Deer Horn Seaweed
Deer Horn Seaweed is a common seaweed belonging to the brown algae, named because of its shape like deer antlers. It is distributed in the coastal areas of Liaodong Peninsula, Shandong Peninsula and Korean Peninsula in China. It is a national second-level key protected wild plant and a seaweed for edible and industrial use. Deer Horn Seaweed has high nutritional value and is rich in protein, alginate, mannitol, iodine, calcium, iron and other minerals and vitamins. It has the effects of softening and dispersing nodules, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, clearing away heat and reducing phlegm, etc. It has a certain therapeutic effect on preventing and treating diseases such as rectal cancer, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and anemia.
It is particularly important to note that many people mistakenly believe that corals are marine plants. In fact, corals belong to the class Corallita of the phylum Cnidaria, and are close relatives of jellyfish, anemones, and hydras. They are a type of animal.