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Is seaweed a plant?
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Algal forest An edible seaweed Not seaweed
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Algal forest
Algal forest Sunlight streaming through an underwater giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forest at Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands National Park, California.

Is seaweed a plant?

Written by
Melissa Petruzzello
Melissa Petruzzello (she/her) is Assistant Managing Editor and covers plants, algae, fungi, insects, spiders, renewable energy and environmental engineering. She also handles certain topics in Christianity,...
Melissa Petruzzello
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

Seaweed is an informal name for the many kinds of marine algae that grow along seashores. Although they often look like plants, seaweeds are not plants. They belong to three broad groups—green, red, and brown algae—that occupy different branches of the tree of life. Plants themselves evolved from ancient green algal ancestors, eventually spreading across nearly every terrestrial environment. Like plants, seaweeds contain chlorophyll and other pigments that allow them to use sunlight to make...

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