from the stipe and produce zoospores. A. esculenta may produce phlorotannins and oxidized lipids as protective functions against high photosynthetically active and UV radiations. It is host to the pathogenic fungus Phycomelaina laminariae. World distribution Europe: Atlantic France, Channel Islands, Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Heligoland, Baltic, Iceland, Faroes, Norway and Svalbard; North America: New York, New England, Maritime Provinces, Newfoundland, Quebec, Labrador, Alaska, Canadian Arctic and Greenland; Asia: Japan, Korea, Kuriles, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. See also Edible seaweed Seafood allergy Vitamin B12 References Further reading External links Alariaceae Edible seaweeds