Brown algae belong to the Division Phaeophycophyta, whose approximately 1,500 species are almost exclusively marine. They include the largest of the seaweeds and the kelps. The brown algae have chlorophyll a and c, as well as carotenes and xanthophylls, but the green chlorophyll coloration is masked by the brown and yellow pigments. Brown algae are among the largest photosynthetic organisms on earth. The largest kelps may grow to more than 60 meters in length, forming dense underwater forests in colder waters. Many microscopic brown algae grow as epiphytes on underwater vegetation, forming networks of branched filaments, or broad encrustations. All species are multicellular and do not form colonies. Their life cycles are complex, involving alternation of generations. In general, they are not free-floating organisms, but are attached to rock, coral, or other firm surfaces. Sargassum weed, however, is a floating brown algae that stays afloat by producing gas-filled bladders.