Made by Serif
© 2011 Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives
© 2007 Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives
Welcome to the feature creature page. Here you will find short articles on different marine creatures. A new article will be featured each month.
Coralline Algae
When you look into a rock pool you can see all the colours of the rainbow, and more besides. You may have seen rocks that look like they have been painted bright pink. What you are seeing is not paint, it is algae. If you reach down and touch it, the pink feels as hard as the rock it is growing on. It is called and encrusting coralline algae and it plays a very important ecological role.
Despite its name, coralline algae is not related to corals (which are animals). Its name comes from the fact that it has calcium carbonate incorporated into its tissues. This acts acts as a natural cement and helps to bind rocks and corals together. It is therefore a very important component in reef building.
Coralline algae is one of the red algae and can be seen growing on rocks, corals, other seaweeds and even on the shells of living molluscs. There are many local species on the Central Coast.
Turban snail encrusted in Coralline algae
Written by Jeannie Lawson
Photographs by Chris Roberts & Ivon Sebastian