If something looks kind of seaweedy, is there a "safe" identification?

Nature Talk
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It would be nice if there was a coarse ID for seaweeds but I’m not aware of one.

Seaweeds are tough because they are polyphyletic:

  1. Brown Algaes (such as Leathesia) are in the Class Phaeophyceae within the Kingdom Chromista
  2. Blue-Green Algae (such as Nostoc) is Phylum Cyanobacteria within the Kingdom Bacteria
  3. Red Algae (such as Halosaccion) is Phylum Rhodophyta within the Kingdom Plantae
  4. Green Algae (such as Dictyosphaeria) is Phylum Chlorophyta within the Kingdom Plantae

These algaes can all appear seaweedy depending on your acumen.

  • Identification conflicts between Red and Green Algaes will move the ID to Kingdom Plantae
  • Identification conflicts between Red or Green Algaes and Blue-Green Algaes will move the ID to State of matter Life
  • Identification conflicts between Red or Green Algaes and Brown Algaes will move the ID to State of matter Life
  • Identification conflicts between Blue-Green Algae and Brown Algaes will move the ID to State of matter Life

Observations that remain within the Kingdoms usually are filtered for and may be reviewed by novices and experts within that taxon.

Observations that move to State of matter Life may not be as likely to be reviewed by experts within that taxon. (if you are unaware of the topic of State of matter Life, you can see some of the issues here https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/state-of-matter-life-limbo/2870 )

Conflicting Phylums seem to become harder to move to Research Grade.

I think it is great to identify seaweeds. My one recommendation is that if you do, try to monitor those identifications so that you can modify a conflicting identification that you have made if a well supported alternate identification has been made.

1.Brown Algae
2.Blue-Green Algae
3.Red Algae
4.Green Algae

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