Laminaria saccharina (Linnaeus) Lamouroux

Description: Thallus up to 4 m long, attached to rock by strong terete stipe and haptera. Long leathery blade, unbranched and without a midrib about 15 cms wide, flat but wrinkly with wavy margins.

Habitat: Common and abundant. In low littoral rock pools and the sublittoral to below 20 m.

Distribution: Widespread all around the shores of the British Isles from the Shetlands to the Channel Islands. Europe: Portugal, Atlantic coasts of Spain and France, Netherlands, Helgoland, Baltic Sea, Norway, Sweden, Faroes, Jan Mayen and Bjornoya, Spitzbergen and Iceland. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connetricut and Long Island, Pacific coast of North America fron Alaska to California.

Similar Species: Alaria esculenta has a midrib.

Key Identification Features:

• Large size and wrinkled blade.

Distribution Map from BioMar data for Ireland - Google Earth map:  download this placemark (not got Google Earth installed?)

Distribution Map from NBN: JNCC MNCR Seasearch data - Grid map : Interactive map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.