Uptake of environmentally relevant platinum group elements (PGE) by the marine macroalga, Ulva lactuca, has been studied. Removal of nM concentrations of Rh(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) added to filtered sea water appeared to proceed via pseudo-first-order kinetics, with respective forward rate constants of either 0.0039 or 0.0042 h -1 , 0.0058 or 0.0096 h -1 and 0.0017 or 0.0032 h -1 , depending on whether an irreversible or reversible reaction was invoked. The (quasi-) equilibrium distribution coefficients, derived from linear fits to uptake (sorption) isotherms, were about 1400, 900 and 350 mL g -1 on a dry mass basis for Rh, Pd and Pt, respectively. With increasing sea water pH, over the range 7.9 to 8.4, uptake of Rh by Ulva increased considerably, whereas a small increase in Pt removal was observed; in contrast, uptake of Pd exhibited no clear dependence on pH. The percentage of metal taken up that was internalised within cells, evaluated by washing selected algal samples in 3 mM EDTA, was about 40% for Rh, 80% for Pd and 95% for Pt. Results of this study were interpreted in terms of what is known about the aqueous speciation of PGE in sea water. Thus, Rh exists as cationic hydrated chloride complexes which are readily adsorbed at the algal surface. Palladium has an exceptional affinity for organic ligands, and uptake (and internalisation) appears to be governed by competition for Pd 2+ from aqueous and algal binding sites. Platinum (IV) exists predominantly as a series of (mainly) negatively charged chloride and mixed hydroxychloride complexes that have little propensity to interact with the algal surface; however, its high degree of internalisation requires at least some interaction with specific and perhaps physiologically active sites.