Chondrus crispus, commonly known as Irish moss, is a red marine algae that thrives on the rocky coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, particularly in regions such as Ireland, United States and Canada. This alga features a distinctive appearance with its flat, branching cartilaginous fronds that can vary in color from deep purple to greenish hues, depending on the environmental conditions and light exposure. Typically reaching lengths of up to 30 centimeters, Chondrus crispus grows in dense clumps, providing habitat for various marine organisms. It is renowned for its high content of carrageenan, a natural thickening agent used in food products, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In addiction the stipe of the algae is narrow and compressed, gradually widening into a flat frond that branches repeatedly in a Y-shaped pattern, forming tufts anchored by a round holdfast and the fronds are thicker in the center than at the edges, and there is a lot of variation in the width of the segments, as well as in their branching, color, and thickness.