Brown Algae

Christopher E Lane, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
Gary W Saunders, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada

Published online: April 2006

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0004250

Brown algae form a natural class, the Phaeophyceae, including c. 265 genera with 1500–2000 species. They form rich underwater forests along much of the cold and temperate coastlines of our planet.

Keywords: Algae; Dictyotales; Ectocarpales; Fucales; Laminariales; Phaeophyceae; seaweed

Figure 1. Morphological diversity among brown algae. (a) Epilithic carpet of intertidal brown algae. (b) Pilayella littoralis: filamentous brown (scale 1 cm). (c) Ralfsia fungiformis: crustose representative (scale 2 cm). (d) Laminaria saccharina: a kelp (scale 10 cm). (e) Alaria nana: a kelp with sporophylls (ruler in cm). (f) Postelsia palmaeformis: a member of the Lessoniaceae (scale 11 cm). (g) Macrocystis integrifolia: a giant kelp; inserts (left to right) holdfast, sporophyll, region of blade production. (h) Hormosira banksii: a southern hemisphere fucoid (scale 3 cm). (i) F. spiralis: a high intertidal fucoid (scale 3 cm). (j) F. distichus ssp. edentatus: a low intertidal inhabitant (scale 2.5 cm) with a close-up (k) of developing receptacles and their characteristic conceptacles (scale 1 cm). The author graciously acknowledges the assistance of Mr Roger Smith (University of New Brunswick) in production of this figure.
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of vegetative cell anatomy. CW, cell wall; PM, plasma membrane; PL, plasmodesmata; NU, nucleus; N, nucleolus; NER, nuclear endoplasmic reticulum; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; M, mitochondria; GO, Golgi body; CH, discoid plastid; CER, chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum; CE, chloroplast envelope; PER, periplastidial endoplasmic reticulum; T, thylakoid; G, gonophore; PY, pyrenoid; CV, cytoplasmic vacuole; PH, physode. The anatomy of one plastid (CH*) was not elaborated. Based on information from van den Hoek et al. (1995).
Figure 3. Common life history types. (a) Isomorphic pattern typical of some Ectocarpales. (b) Heteromorphic pattern of the Laminariales. See text for details. R!, meiosis.
close
 References
    Clayton MN (1984) Evolution of the Phaeophyta with particular reference to the Fucales. Progress in Phycological Research 3: 11–46.
    book Dawes CJ (1998) Marine Botany, 2nd edn. New York: Wiley.
    Draisma SGA, Prud'homme van Reine WF, Stam WT and Olsen JL (2001) A reassessment of phylogenetic relationships within the Phaeophyceae based on Rubisco large subunit and ribosomal DNA sequences. Journal of Phycology 37: 586–603.
    book Druehl LD, Mayes C, Tan IH and Saunders GW (1997) "Molecular and morphological phylogenies of kelp and associated brown algae". In: Bhattacharya D (ed.) Origins of Algae and their Plastids, pp. 221–235. Vienna, New York: Springer.
    book Jensen A (1995) "Production of alginate". In: Wiessner W, Schnepf E and Starr RC (eds) Algae, Environment and Human Affairs, pp. 79–92. Bristol: Biopress.
    Kawai H and Sasaki H (2000) Molecular phylogeny of the brown algal genera Akkesiphycus and Halosiphon (Laminariales), resulting in the circumscription of the new families Akkesiphycaceae and Halosiphonaceae. Phycologia 39: 416–428.
    Parker BC and Dawson EY (1965) Non-calcareous marine algae from California Miocene deposits. Nova Hedwigia 10: 273–295.
    Peters AF, van Oppen MJH, Wiencke C, Stam WT and Olsen JL (1997) Phylogeny and historical ecology of the Desmarestiaceae (Phaeophyceae) support a southern hemisphere origin. Journal of Phycology 33: 294–309.
    Rousseau F, Burrowes R, Peters AF, Kuhlenkamp R and de Reviers B (2001) A comprehensive phylogeny of the Phaeophyceae based on nrDNA sequences resolves the earliest divergences. Compte Rendu Hebdomadaire des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Sciences de la Vie 324: 305–319.
    Rousseau F and de Reviers B (1999) Circumscription of the order Ectocarpales (Phaeophyceae): bibliographical synthesis and molecular evidence. Cryptogamie Algologie 20: 5–18.
    Sasaki H, Flores-Moya A, Henry EC, Müller D and Kawai H (2001) Molecular phylogeny of Phyllariaceae, Halosiphonaceae and Tilopteridales (Phaeophyceae). Phycologia 40: 123–134.
    Saunders GW and Druehl LD (1992) Nucleotide sequences of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes from selected Laminariales (Phaeophyta): implications for kelp evolution. Journal of Phycology 28: 544–549.
    Saunders GW, Potter D and Andersen RA (1997) Phylogenetic affinities of the Sarcinochrysidales and Chrysomeridales (Heterokonta) based on analyses of molecular and combined data. Journal of Phycology 33: 310–318.
    book Schmitz K (1981) "Translocation". In: Lobban CS and Wynne MJ (eds) The Biology of Seaweeds, pp. 534–558. Berkeley: University of California Press.
    book van den Hoek C, Mann DG and Jahns HM (1995) Algae:An Introduction to Phycology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Yoon HS, Lee JY, Boo SM and Bhattacharya D (2001) Phylogeny of the Alariaceae, Laminariaceae, and Lessoniaceae (Phaeophyceae) based on plastid-encoded RuBisCo spacer and nuclear-encoded ITS sequences comparisons. Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution. 21: 231–243.
 Further Reading
    book Bold HC and Wynne MJ (1985) Introduction to the Algae:Structure and Reproduction, 2nd edn. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
    Clayton MN (1988) Evolution and life histories of brown algae. Botanica Marina 31: 379–387.
    De Reviers B and Rousseau F (1999) Towards a new classification of the brown algae. Progress in Phycological Research 13: 107–201.
    book Fletcher RL (1987) Seaweeds of the British Isles, Vol. 3: Fucophyceae (Phaeophyceae), part 1. London: British Museum (Natural History).
    book Lobban CS and Harrison PJ (1997) Seaweed Ecology and Physiology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    book Lüning K (1990) Seaweeds. Their Environment, Biogeography, and Ecophysiology. New York: Wiley.
    book Womersley HBS (1987) The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia, Part II. Adelaide: South Australian Government Printing Division.

Related Sub-Topics:

Classification | Fossils and Evolution | Evolutionary Genomics | Physiological Ecology | Microbial Evolution and Taxonomy | Algae
Contact Editor close
Submit a note to the editor about this article by filling in the form below.

* Required Field

Article Title: Brown Algae
 
How to Cite close
Lane, Christopher E, and Saunders, Gary W(Apr 2006) Brown Algae. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0004250]