Ulva clathrata is a species of sea weed in Chlorophyta filo, Ulvophyceae class and Ulvaceae family. Is a small algae, less than 30 centimeters long and soft with laminar thallus repeatedly branched, light green in colour. Ulva clathrata plants can grow first attached to solid substrate but later free floating as a dense mass. The thallus's cells have chloroplasts with 3 to 4 pyrenoids, forming tuffs, composed of branched axes, and grow to be about 20 to 30 centimeters long.

It is a gighly nutritious algae, because of the high protein content. It is consumed by humans, used as an animal feed and also in biochemistry laboratories.

Ulva clathrata is widely distributed in warms seas from the Western Pacific through the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Indian Ocean, Europe waters (including Mediterranean Sea) and Southeast Pacific. So, this species can be found in countries like Portugal, Belgum, Ireland, United Kingdom, Israel, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Japan, Tunisia, Alaska, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela.

References:

Seaweed industry association in "https://seaweedindustry.com/seaweed/type/ulva-clathrata” searched on 21 November 2013;

MACOI "http://macoi.ci.uc.pt/spec_list_detail.phpspec_id=170&searchSpecies=Ulva+clathrata+%28Roth%29+C.+Agardh", searched on 21 November 2013; 

M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. "http://www.algaebase.org"; searched on 21 November 2013.