Purple Laver (Porphyra ssp.), Wet, Live, Whole Leaf, 1 Pint Volume

from $80.00
Quantity (1 Pint Volume):

Live Nori (Porphyra spp.)
This is a wet, live, science specimen.

Nori (Porphyra spp.), also known as Purple Laver, is a delicate red seaweed found in the mid-tidal zones of Maine’s rocky shores. This soft, paper-thin alga ranges in color from deep plum to dusky purple, fading to yellow with sun exposure. Because of its fragile, translucent structure, a single pound represents a large volume of living material.

Commonly studied for its photosynthetic efficiency, cell wall composition, and ecological role in intertidal communities, Porphyra is also of commercial interest as a food-grade species used worldwide in sushi and sea vegetable products. Each specimen is hand-harvested at low tide from clean, unpolluted coastal areas of the Gulf of Maine.

Common name: Nori, Purple Laver, Laver
Scientific name: Porphyra spp.
Locations: Mid-tidal on bare rocks in spaces where rockweed has not colonized
Seasonality: Available all year (2–3 subspecies available in rotation during the year)
Colors: Dark plum or purple color, yellows with sun exposure
Size: 3" – 12"
Collected: By hand
Quantity: Sold in 1 pint increments

Note: This is a live marine specimen. Natural variations in size, color, and appearance from photos should be expected. If you would like any specimen preserved, please send a request to: info@gulfofme.com.

Live Nori (Porphyra spp.)
This is a wet, live, science specimen.

Nori (Porphyra spp.), also known as Purple Laver, is a delicate red seaweed found in the mid-tidal zones of Maine’s rocky shores. This soft, paper-thin alga ranges in color from deep plum to dusky purple, fading to yellow with sun exposure. Because of its fragile, translucent structure, a single pound represents a large volume of living material.

Commonly studied for its photosynthetic efficiency, cell wall composition, and ecological role in intertidal communities, Porphyra is also of commercial interest as a food-grade species used worldwide in sushi and sea vegetable products. Each specimen is hand-harvested at low tide from clean, unpolluted coastal areas of the Gulf of Maine.

Common name: Nori, Purple Laver, Laver
Scientific name: Porphyra spp.
Locations: Mid-tidal on bare rocks in spaces where rockweed has not colonized
Seasonality: Available all year (2–3 subspecies available in rotation during the year)
Colors: Dark plum or purple color, yellows with sun exposure
Size: 3" – 12"
Collected: By hand
Quantity: Sold in 1 pint increments

Note: This is a live marine specimen. Natural variations in size, color, and appearance from photos should be expected. If you would like any specimen preserved, please send a request to: info@gulfofme.com.

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Search the beaches for types of seaweeds. Learn about Purple Laver, a type of red algae, with Tidepool Tim as he clambers along a rocky shore on a nice Maine morning.

Tidepool Tim says,  “Laver is nothing short of incredible in the habitat that it exploits.  Laver tends to grow on rocks in the mid-tide area. This is a miserable place to live as a seaweed - it is very hot and very dry when the tide is out.  Laver is a very spindly and literally dries out against the warm rocks and stones. Remarkably - the plant re-hydrates as the tide flows in and the water is replenished.  No other seaweeds could withstand this sort of punishment. Once the tide is in, this seaweed is further stressed by the impact of huge storm waves and gale force winds. The most curious thing about it is that purple lavers holdfast is the smallest, most unimpressive little fly speck you have ever seen, yet it somehow holds on like spider-man on a mid-town skyscraper!  Laver is almost translucent and also yields some very impressive plant pigments when used in lab chromatography experiments.”