Brown Algae
Brown algae is the largest, most complex type of algae. This type of marine algae is brown, olive or yellowish-brown in color. Brown algae contains contains chlorophyll a and c and a pigment called fucoxanthin, which gives it its color.
Fucoxanthin is not found in other algae or plants. Unlike red and green algae, brown algae are in the Kingdom Chromista.
Like other algae, the distribution of brown algae is broad, from tropical to polar zones. Brown algae can be found in intertidal zones, near coral reefs and in deeper waters, with a NOAA study noting them at 165 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.
There are about 1,800 species of brown algae. The largest, and one of the most well-known, is kelp. Other examples of brown algae include seaweeds in the genus Fucus commonly known as "rockweed," or "wracks," and the genus Sargassum, which form floating mats and are the most prominent species in the area known as the Sargasso Sea, which is in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Human Uses For Algae
The agar found in red algae is used as a culture medium in microbiology research. Algae is also used in a variety of other ways, and research continues on the benefits of algae for medicine. Some claims about algae include the ability of red algae to improve our immune system, treat respiratory ailments and skin problems, and cure cold sores. Algae also contains abundant amounts of Iodine, an element required by humans and necessary for proper thyroid functioning.
Both brown (e.g., kelp and Sargassum) and red algae are used in Chinese medicine. Uses include treatment for cancer and for treating goiters, testicular pain and swelling, edema, urinary infections and sore throat.