Seaweeds are divided into three different groups depending on their color. These plants are known as the green, red or brown algae.
It is not always possible to identify algae just by looking at the color of a plant. However, knowing the color may sometimes be helpful, but not always reliable.
Ocean Plants
Many different kinds of plants live at the surface of the ocean . Rather than staying on one place like a tree or a bush, these plants float freely in the water and go where the ocean currents take them. This group of tiny free-floating plants is called phytoplankton. Most are so small that they can be seen only with the aid of a microscope.
Diatoms are the most abundant kinds of phytoplankton living in the ocean. These tiny plants are an important source of food for many ocean fish.
Seaweed
Seaweed are large, easy-to-see plants that grow in the ocean. Many different types of seaweed can be found near the shore attached to rocks, piles, seawalls, and even on the bottom of boats. These plants have such names as sea lettuce, sea moss, sargassum, sea palm, rockweed, and irish moss.
Return Home