Sea Lettuce: Save The Great South Bay Word Of The Week

GREAT SOUTH BAY, NY — The Great South Bay is full of UFOs — un-slightly floating objects, that is.

Sea Lettuce, Save The Great South Bay's Word of The Week, is one of them.

Officially known as Ulva lactuca, Sea Lettuce is an edible green algae that is commonly found along coastal shorelines.

Earlier this year, it was recently spotted in Bay Shore in its decaying state, appearing brown and slimy and alarming local residents. However, it is not harmful to humans or animals unless found on shore in large quantities.

Local Bay Shore residents contacted Save The Great South Bay earlier this year after spotting sea lettuce.

"Upon consulting with the experts at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, we were able to identify it as common Sea Lettuce in its decaying form," a represenattive said. "Not pretty, but not harmful."

Save the Great South Bay is a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Long Island's Great South Bay.

If you see something in the Bay, contact Save The Great South Bay at info@savethegreatsouthbay.org.

To learn more about the organization, visit its website here.