Abstract
Many species of large brown algae co‐occur along similar shores and depths and seem to share similar ecological characteristics in terms of habitat‐formation, providing nursery and feeding habitats for reef fish, vertical structure of habitats within the water column and biomass production. However, the dominant species have very different life histories. Laminarians have a heteromorphic alternation of generations, while fucaleans have an animal‐like life history with more direct development. Despite these differences, there seems to be no obvious relationship between life history and ecological function. Laminarians and fucaleans seem generally to have very different demographies, with quite disparate features such as propagule size and number, early survival, growth rates, and densities of plants required for a closed canopy. Furthermore, few laminarians occur in the intertidal zone. Here, I will compare some species in these groups for which we know something about life history and ecology in New Zealand and the USA. Although it is necessary to understand life histories of individual species to understand their demography and ecological functions, this is not sufficient in itself to predict such roles and functions.
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