The Seaweed Trait Initiative started in 2016 within the PhD projects of Alizée Mauffrey and Laura Cappelatti, under the supervision of Dr. John Griffin, at Swansea University (Wales). Noting the lack of widely available and organised information on macroalgal traits, they started collecting and measuring species found in the British coast, and to date there are almost 100 species and 10 continuous traits in the dataset. The overarching goal is to inspire researchers and seaweed enthusiasts around the globe to contribute with the expansion of this data, and to have an accessible, comprehensive set of trait data for seaweeds of all groups and forms. Below you can explore the species and the traits that are available at the moment.
Please note that this is a beta version of this website, and in time we hope to expand not only the data but the tools to explore the dataset.
Feel free to contact us.
| Ahnfeltiopsis devoniensis |
| Alaria esculenta |
| Ascophyllum nodosum |
| Asparagopsis armata |
| Asperococcus fistulosus |
| Bifurcaria bifurcata |
| Blidingia minima |
| Bonnemaisonia hamifera traillella |
| Bostrychia scorpioides |
| Bryopsis hypnoides |
| Calliblepharis jubata |
| Callithamnion tetricum |
| Carpodesmia tamariscifolia |
| Catenella caespitosa |
| Ceramium botryocarpum |
| Ceramium nodulosum |
| Chaetomorpha linum |
| Chondracanthus acicularis |
| Chondracanthus okamurae |
| Chondrus crispus |
| Chorda filum |
| Chordaria flagelliformis |
| Chylocladia verticillata |
| Cladophora rupestris |
| Cladophora sericea |
| Cladostephus spongiosus |
| Codium fragile spp. atlanticum |
| Codium fragile spp. fragile |
| Colpomenia peregrina |
| Corallina officinalis |
| Cryptopleura ramosa |
| Cystoclonium purpureum |
| Desmarestia aculeata |
| Dictyota sp. |
| Dilsea carnosa |
| Ellisolandia elongata |
| Eudesme virescens |
| Fucus distichus |
| Fucus serratus |
| Fucus spiralis |
| Fucus spiralis var. nanus |
| Fucus vesiculosus |
| Fucus vesiculosus var. linearis |
| Furcellaria lumbricalis |
| Gelidium crinale |
| Gelidium pulchellum |
| Gelidium pusillum |
| Gelidium spinosum |
| Gracilaria gracilis |
| Grateloupia filicina |
| Gymnogongrus griffithsiae |
| Halidrys siliquosa |
| Halopteris scoparia |
| Halurus equisetifolius |
| Halurus flosculosus |
| Heterosiphonia plumosa |
| Himanthalia elongata |
| Hypoglossum hypoglossoides |
| Jania rubens var. rubens |
| Laminaria digitata |
| Laminaria hyperborea |
| Leathesia marina |
| Lomentaria articulata |
| Mastocarpus stellatus |
| Membranoptera alata |
| Osmundea hybrida |
| Osmundea osmunda |
| Osmundea pinnatifida |
| Palmaria palmata |
| Pelvetia canaliculata |
| Plocamium sp. |
| Plocamium maggsiae |
| Polyides rotunda |
| Porphyra dioica |
| Pterocladiella capillacea |
| Rhodothamniella floridula |
| Rhodymenia holmesii |
| Rhodymenia pseudopalmata |
| Saccharina latissima |
| Saccorhiza polyschides |
| Sargassum muticum |
| Taonia atomaria |
| Treptacantha baccata |
| Ulva compressa |
| Ulva intestinalis |
| Ulva lactuca |
| Ulva linza |
| Ulva rigida |
| Umbraulva dangeardii |
| Undaria pinnatifida |
| Vertebrata byssoides |
| Vertebrata fruticulosa |
| Vertebrata fucoides |
| Vertebrata lanosa |
| Xiphosiphonia ardreana |
| Species | Taxonomic identity of the sample, mainly, species. When appropriate, life stage or subspecies is given. |
| SD | This suffix indicates that the standard deviation is given for each corresponding trait value. "NA" applies when a "species" only had a single replicate. |
| SE | This suffix indicates that the standard error is given for each corresponding trait value. "NA" applies when a "species" only had a single replicate. |
| TDMC | Thallus Dry Matter Content (no units): obtained by dividing dry mass (g) by fresh mass (g) |
| Thickness (mm) | Average frond thickness (mm) out of 10 measurements taken haphazardly along the blades of a sample |
| Max length (cm) | Maximum length (cm) of a sample, from the base of the holdfast (or any other anchoring system) to the tip of the longest blade. Measured prior to any subsampling to respect the proportions of the macroalga. |
| Aspect ratio | General shape of the sample, obtained by dividing maximum length (cm) by maximum width (cm). |
| Branching order | Average number of divisions of the main axes of a macroalga from its holdfast to the tip of the blades out of 5 measurements taken haphazardly within the sample; no units |
| SAV (mm2 mL-1) | Surface Area to Volume ratio (mm2 mL-1): obtained by dividing the area (mm2) of a sample by its volume (mL) |
| STA (mm2 g-1) | Specific Thallus Area (mm2 g-1): obtained by dividing the area (mm2) of a sample by its dry mass (g) |
| SA:P | Surface Area to Perimeter ratio (no units): obtained by dividing the area (mm2) of a sample by its perimeter (mm) |
| C (%) | Carbon content (%) |
| N (%) | Nitrogent content (%) |
| C:N | Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (no units): obtained by dividing Carbon content (%) by Nitrogen content (%) |
| Pneumatocysts (YES/NO) | Presence (YES) or absence (NO) of pneumatocysts (or "air bladders") among the blades of the sample |
| MFGs | Morpho-functional groups defined by the functional-form model of Littler and Littler (1980, "The evolution of thallus form and survival strategies in benthic marine macroalgae: field and laboratory tests of a functional form model") |
| FGs simple | Functional groups defined by Steneck and Dethier's (1994, "A functional group approach to the structure of algal-dominated communities") simplified classification (i.e., without sub-groups) |
| FGs | Functional groups defined by Steneck and Dethier's (1994, "A functional group approach to the structure of algal-dominated communities") detailed classification (i.e., including sub-groups based on level of cortication) |
| Canopy turf | Binary classification of vertical space use. Turfs were considered macroalgae with little to no three-dimensional structure compared with kelp and other canopy-forming macroalgae that form a dense layer of fine filaments, branches, or plumes on the substratum (Filbee-Dexter & Wernberg, 2018). |
| Vertical use | Three-level classification of vertical space use adapted from Arenas et al. (2006, "The invasibility of marine algal assemblages: role of functional diversity and identity"). Location along the canopy is somewhat community-dependent, so we categorised species into the three-level scheme based on what we judged was the most common scenario on the rocky shores screened. |
| EGs k medoids | Nine-cluster emergent classification built on the twelve traits of the dataset using k-medoids, a top-down clustering approach |
| NA | Not Applicable |
| ND | No Datum |