The location of our study site was Canoe Beach in Nahant, Massachusetts. We were familiar with the area and the species, having visited for Marine Biology in 2008. We returned to Nahant multiple times from September to November of 2010. Although there were plenty of species to choose from, I decided to study the brown algal species Ascophyllum nodosum because of its odd age structure. I was informed that the growth rate may be measured by the number of air bladders present on the main stem.

Ascophyllum nodosum is one of the most common algae species on the coast of the northern Atlantic, including Europe. This brown algae grown on rocky substrates, ranging from the highest to the lowest tidal areas. This experiment sought to compare growth rates of individual A. nodosum fronds according to the vertical location within the intertidal range at Canoe Beach, Nahant, Massachusetts.