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About Seaweeds

Fair spread on pages white, I saw arrayedThese fairy children of a sire so stern;Their beauty charmed me.—Appleton

Whenever you are exploring the seashore, remember that the beach is a dangerous, adrenaline-jerking place. Mark Denny (Stanford University), who explored adaptations of West Coast intertidal organisms to prevalent drag forces, projected the force generated by the largest expected wave for any given year as being equivalent to 13 tonnes (14 tons) on the average human form. This illustrates the challenges intertidal organisms face and a good reason to be very cautious while studying in a wave-exposed environment. Always have someone watch for menacing waves. Professor Gilbert M. Smith (Stanford University), author of the pioneer 1944 study Marine Algae of the Monterey Peninsula, California, advised that if you get caught by a wave, do not run—lie down and act like a sea star. Becoming one with the sea stars has saved BEC on several occasions.

Seaweeds like Postelsia palmaeformis can handle crashing waves; people can’t. Always keep an eye on the water when exploring the seashore.