Why Would Animals Want Sea Lettuce In The Tidepools Even If They Don't Eat It?

Sea lettuce is commonly observed on Rhode Island's shoreline, both free-floating and attached.
Ocean lettuce is commonly observed on Rhode Isle's shoreline, both free-floating and attached.
E. Zabel, courtesy of URI

Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

Appearance: Light-green seaweed, sheetlike in advent. Can exist white or black when dry out. Ranges in size from half-dozen inches to ii anxiety.
Habitat: High and low intertidal zones; h2o to 75 feet deep.
Seasonal advent: All year, with big blooms in the summer.

Description

Body of water lettuce is a vivid light-green algae composed of lobed, ruffle-edged leaves that are coarse and canvass-similar and resemble a foliage of lettuce. The leaves may appear flat, thin, wide, and ofttimes rounded or oval. Its leaves are frequently perforated with holes of diverse sizes. Almost no stalk exists at the point of attachment, and no true roots are present. When stale past the sun, its color tin can range from white to black.

Life History and Growth

Sea lettuce may exist plant attached to rocks and shells by a holdfast, but it is also commonly found gratis floating. Amidst the nigh familiar of the shallow water seaweeds, ocean lettuce is oft found in areas of exposed rocks and in stagnant tide pools. Sea lettuce has also been recorded at depths of 75 feet or more. Sea lettuce grows in both high and low intertidal zones and marshes throughout the year.

Tolerant of food loading that would suffocate many other aquatic plants, information technology can actually thrive in moderate levels of nutrient pollution. Large volumes of sea lettuce ofttimes point loftier levels of pollution. Growth is also stimulated past the presence of other pollutants. Information technology is often found in areas where sewage runoff is heavy. As a outcome, sea lettuce is used as an indicator species to monitor pollution trends. The density and location of this alga tin oftentimes bespeak the presence of loftier amounts of nutrients.

Special Notes

In areas where there is a high concentration or "bloom" of sea lettuce, sunlight is unable to reach submerged vegetation such equally eelgrass, preventing photosynthesis and often killing the vegetation below.
When ocean lettuce dies, leaner feeding on the decomposing body of water lettuce use up a tremendous amount of oxygen in the water. This, in turn, depletes the oxygen bachelor to other species, suffocating or driving them away.
Masses of body of water lettuce can hamper swimmers and foul lines and line-fishing nets, simply it does provide a home to some minor invertebrates such as amphipods.
Like lettuce grown on country, it tin can be used in salads and soups. Sea lettuce is besides used to make ice foam, other nutrient products, and medicine.

Adapted from The Uncommon Guide to Mutual Life on Narragansett Bay. Salve The Bay, 1998.

Source: http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/plants/sea.htm

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