Sugar kelp — also known as seabelt — is the one North East Atlantic kelp with a single undivided frond, andit is unmistakable: a long tongue-shaped blade, olive to yellow-brown, dimpledacross the surface and frilled along both margins, rising from a short flexiblestipe. It grows to around three metres on hard substrate in sheltered tomoderately exposed water and is one of the fastest-growing kelps of the region,putting on length through late winter and spring. The common name comes fromthe sweet white bloom that forms on the dried frond. At two metres, this pieceworks as a statement blade in taller temperate displays, or in groups where arippling, ribbon-like canopy is wanted rather than the branched form of thelarger Pacific kelps.
Habitat/Exhibit Use
North Atlantic and NorthPacific, Arctic to northern Portugal; all UK and Irish coasts. For deeptemperate kelp exhibits, cold-water aquaculture and seaweed-farminginterpretation displays.
