Proliferous Sea Lettuce
Ulva prolifera
Ulva prolifera is a multicellular green alga from the family Ulvaceae. It is characterized by its long, thin, and highly branched thalli, which are hollow inside and thus have a tubular structure. The species is distributed worldwide in coastal waters and is known for its ability to form massive algal blooms, known as 'green tides', under high nutrient loading. It is extremely tolerant of fluctuations in salinity and temperature.
Details
Oxygen production
Very high during the light phase; can lead to oxygen depletion at night with high biomass.
Habitat function
Provides shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates; important colonization surface for microorganisms.
Nutrient uptake
Highly efficient uptake of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (ammonium, nitrate).
Food source for
Snails (e.g., Littorina), amphipods, and herbivorous fish.
Human use
Used as food in Asia (Aonori); research into biofuel production and as fertilizer.
Ecology
Ecological role
Primary producer; serves as a habitat for epifauna and as food for various marine herbivores.
Natural predators
Sea snails, crustaceans, and some fish species.
Competitor species
Other Ulva species and filamentous brown algae when colonizing substrates.
Ecosystem service
Nutrient sequestration and oxygen production in coastal areas.
Threats
Herbicide input from agriculture; extreme hypersalinity in closed lagoons.
Scientific profile
Profile
Reproduction
Diplohaplontic life cycle with isomorphic alternation of generations. Asexual reproduction via quadriflagellate zoospores; sexual reproduction via biflagellate anisogametes. High regeneration capacity from thallus fragments.
Protection & threats
Status not on standard scale
Main threats
No known threats; the species benefits massively from anthropogenic nutrient inputs (nitrogen and phosphorus).