132/150: What’s green, marine and a potential killing machine? Sea Lettuce!

Plantae: Chlorophyta: Ulvophyceae: Ulvales: Ulvaceae: Ulva: Ulva lactuca Linnaeus 1753

Although it resembles terrestrial salad greens, Ulva lactuca (sea lettuce) is a species of aquatic green algae. The bright green ruffled edge “leaves” are composed of 2 layers of cells, found free floating or attached to surfaces in areas with exposed rocks and tide pools. Ulva lactuca is edible, and can be added to salads or soups, or used in medicine. However, this nutritious chlorophyte has a dark side. When large concentrations of sea lettuce die, the rotting algae uses up large amounts of oxygen, potentially suffocating other aquatic species (eutrophication). When large quantities of the rotting algae washes up on shore, it produces toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, which can be a public safety risk. Although it can be tolerated in low doses, short term high exposure to fumes by unlucky beachgoers has led to documented cases of collapse, loss of breathing and even death! Watch out for killer lettuce! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: ULVA558-09

nucleotide sequence

CGTGATCGTTTCTTATTTGTTGCTGAAGCAATTTATAAATCTCAATCTGAAACTGGTGAGGTGAAAGGACATTACTTAAATGCAACAGCAGGTACATGTGAAGAAATGATGGAACGTGGTCAATTTGCTAAAGATTTAGGTGTTCCAATTGTTATGCATGACTATATTACTGGTGGTTTTACAGCTAACACTTCATTATCTCGTTTCTGTCGTGCTAGTGGATTATTATTACATATTCACCGTGCTATGCACGCTGTTATTGATCGTCAACGTAATCACGGTATTCACTTCCGAGTATTAGCGAAAATTTTACGTATGTCAGGTGGTGACCACTTACACTCAGGAACAGTAGTAGGTAAATTAGAAGGTGAACGTGAAATTACTTTAGGTTTCGTTGACTTAATGCGTGATGACTACATTGAAAAAGATCGTAGTCGTGGTATTTACTTTACTCAAGATTGGGTTAGTTTACCTGGTACAATGCCTGTAGCGTCAGGTGGTATTCACGTGTGGCACATGCCTGCATTAGTTGAAATCTTTGGTGATGATGCATGTTTACAATTCGGTGGTGGTACATTAGGACACCCTTGGGGTAACGCTCCAGGAGCCGCTGCAAACCGTGTAGCTTTAGAAGCTTGTACACAAGCCCGAAACGAAGGGCGTGATTTAGCGTCTGAAGGCGGTGATGTAATTCGTGCTGCTTGTAAATGGAGTCCTGAATTAGCTGCAGCTTGT

amino acid sequence

RDRFLFVAEAIYKSQSETGEVKGHYLNATAGTCEEMMERGQFAKDLGVPIVMHDYITGGFTANTSLSRFCRASGLLLHIHRAMHAVIDRQRNHGIHFRVLAKILRMSGGDHLHSGTVVGKLEGEREITLGFVDLMRDDYIEKDRSRGIYFTQDWVSLPGTMPVASGGIHVWHMPALVEIFGDDACLQFGGGTLGHPWGNAPGAAANRVALEACTQARNEGRDLASEGGDVIRAACKWSPELAAAC