Black Pine Seaweed (Neorhodomela larix)

Description: It gets the name “black pine seaweed” due to its dark color and its appearance that resembles the branches of a pine tree. It grows in long tendrils with little needle-looking branchlets that grow off of the branches. This algae grows in dense clusters on the rocks in the intertidal zone.

Habitat: Black pine seaweed is a type of red algae found in many coastal areas of the North Pacific, including Mexico, Japan, the Bering Sea, and the West Coast of the United States.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• Some Neorhodomela species can be used in traditional medicine to act as anti-inflammatory agents or antioxidants.

Reference: iNaturalist