Articulated Coralline Algae

Algae are found in many forms, from the huge, fast-growing microalgae like giant kelp and bull kelp in the ocean to microscopic algae floating free in the water. Both photosynthesize to produce oxygen and sugars. Giant kelp grow from a “holdfast” that has attached itself to rocks on the bottom and are pulled to the surface by gas bladders that provide buoyancy. One form of algae elicits many questions from visitors who mistakenly identify it as a fungus and assume (possibly due to its rusty-red color) that it is killing the trees on the Cypress Grove trail. Not so. It is really algae that migrated to Point Lobos as tiny spores, named Trentepohlia. It grows very few places on earth and only on the northern edge of Point Lobos. Since it only thrives in pristine air, be sure to fill your lungs when you are there. Ask any docent where to find it.