It's back to the #RockyIntertidal of #Washington's #SanJuanIslands this #MarineLifeMonday, this time to visit an odd #seaweed group. Coralline red #algae are distant relatives of plants, but they're named because they look like some types of #coral. In fact, this similarity is more than skin-deep. Just as coral animals often encase themselves in calcium #carbonate shells, these algae line their cell walls with the same #mineral, making them much more rigid than other #seaweeds.
#rockyintertidal #Washington #SanJuanIslands #MarineLifeMonday #seaweed #algae #coral #carbonate #mineral #seaweeds