Per the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, the piles are made of thick, hairy red algae known as Digenea simplex, which grow in large mats. While the algae support a variety of ...
Red algae called Digenea simplex is lining a long stretch of the beach and piling up as high as 4 feet in some areas. The thick, hairy red algae grows in large mats that look a lot like stinky ...