Fucus vesiculosus, known by the common name bladder wrack or bladderwrack, is a seaweed found on the coasts of theNorth Sea,

the western Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, also known by the common names black tang,rockweed, bladder fucus, sea oak, black tany, cut weed, dyers fucus, red fucus, and rock wrack. It was the original source of iodine, discovered in 1811, and was used extensively to treat goitre, a swelling of the thyroid glandrelated to iodine deficiency.