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seagrass lagoon index
  Online Guide to Chek Jawa
seagrass lagoon
 
Knobbly red seaweed
Gracilaria salicornia
Family Gracilariaceae
click for enlarged image
 
Knobbly red seaweed forms segments with knobby tips. Small clumps are commonly seen on the seagrass lagoon. This red seaweed flourishes in calm, shallow waters. On Chek Jawa, where the water is murky, this seaweed is dark green to greenish brown. Elsewhere, when it grows is clear water, it reportedly can be orange in colour.

Role in the habitat: This seaweed is eaten by the Green sea turtle.
Human uses: It is reported to be edible (as jelly) and used for animal feed, and made into insect repellent. It is also used as fertiliser for coffee and coconut plants in Hainan, India and Ceylon. This seaweed is also said to have antibacterial and antitumor properties, and is used to treat knee joint pains, sores, pulmonary ailments and stomach problems.

Status and threats: This seaweed is an alien species in Hawaii where it grows unchecked by natural predators and threatens the local habitats there. Read more about this on the Star Bulletin website. 		   
quick facts
Stems to about 10cm long, common in the seagrass lagoon
 
See also ...
Seaweeds in general

Other references
  • Trono, G. C. Jr., 1997. Field Guide and Atlas of the Seaweed Resources of the Philippines. Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 306 pp.
  • Calumpong, H. P. & Menez, E. G., 1997. Field Guide to the Common Mangroves, Seagrasses and Algae of the Philippines. Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 197 pp.
  • Lim, S., P. Ng, L. Tan, & W. Y. Chin, 1994. Rhythm of the Sea: The Life and Times of Labrador Beach. Division of Biology, School of Science, Nanyang Technological University & Department of Zoology, the National University of Singapore. 160 pp.
 

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