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Sunday, April 14, 2019

Wings and ribs


After our surveys in northern Sonoma County yesterday, we did a little exploring in the low rocky intertidal zone.  In this photo there are two species of kelpcan you see the differences?  Look around at the golden-brown individuals.

One of the kelps is relatively smooth with one central mid-rib.  The other kelp is puckered and has several ribs running the length of the blade.

The first species is Winged Kelp (Alaria marginata) and the second is Five-ribbed Kelp (Costaria costata).  Note that these are juveniles and are quite small only ~6 inches long or so.

Interestingly, although I haven't seen Five-ribbed Kelp on Bodega Head, there are herbarium records for it from Bodega Head in the 1960s.  Has something changed?  Is it just patchy?  Or variable?  Have you seen Five-ribbed Kelp in Sonoma County?  I'd be interested in hearing about recent local records.

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