Heather Fulton-Bennett Curator

Joined: Jun 16, 2017 Last Active: Mar 28, 2024 iNaturalist Monthly Supporter since July 2023

Marine scientist specializing in seaweeds (PhD, MSc), with soft spots for marine invertebrates, mosses, and houseplants in the wild. Focus mostly on the northeast Pacific coast, but with experience in New Zealand, Hawai'i, and elsewhere.
hfultonbennett.weebly.com

Feel free to tag/@ me for IDs. I tend not to leave comments due to the sheer volume of IDs I make, but I'm always happy to answer questions. Similarly, I may not see a disagreement due to the high number of notifications I get, so please @ me for discussion, happy to retract any mistakes I make.

Tips for photographing seaweeds for ID

  • Flatten and spread out the specimen as much as possible
  • Try to show the branching pattern (large or small) and any texture/veins in the blade; a white background can help with smaller finely branched species or those with veins (your hand will do in the field)
  • Include a wider habitat shot: what the seaweed is attached to, how high it is in the intertidal, and the species around it can help give context
  • For kelps, a picture of the holdfast, stipe, and base of blade can help distinguish some similar species.
  • BUT not all species can be ID'd photographically, some require microscopic images of cell structure, reproductive structures, or other internal structures.

Seaweed ID Resources

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