Studying seaweed isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but the Marin Conservation Society has just produced the fourth in its series of Seasearch guides to Britain and Ireland, and marine flora is its subject. Apparently we can boast 7% of the world’s seaweed species in these islands, with new ones still being discovered.
This comprehensive reference book divides its subjects broadly by colour – green, brown and red. If you want to be equipped to recognise juicy reds or hairy browns, chipolata weed and oyster thief, kelps or wracks, this is for you.
It’s hard to imagine algae coming up that often when divers are filling in their logbooks: “You say it was berry wart cress, but I could’ve sworn it was Northern crested spermwell!”
However, I can conceive of being on a dive site where so little else is happening that a nice display of red hook weed becomes a point of interest.
Perhaps this richly illustrated book will bring new recognition to the plants that all but marine biologists overlook in favour of animals.
Steve Weinman
Marine Conservation Society
ISBN: 9780948150517
Softback, 224pp, £16.95
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