Algae

The marine world is vast and full of life. In the salty ocean water and in many freshwater bodies there is a multitude of sea creatures and living organisms. These living organisms also include algae. Although algae is not always thought to be living, it definitely is!

There are 3 main types of algae in the kingdom protista. There is green algae, brown algae, and red algae.

Green Algae is in the phylum Chlorophyta. Most green algae contain chloroplast, which has chlorophyll pigments that give them their green color. There are some types of green algae that use flagella to move, while other types are immobile. Types of green algae include: Chaetomorpha, Bryopsis, Ulva, Enteromorpha, and Halimeda.

Bryopsis

Facts about Green Algae: 

• There's about 7,000 species of green algae
• They can be found in both freshwater and saltwater
• They can reproduce both asexually and sexually

Ulva

Brown Algae is found in the phylum Heterokontophyta and the class Phaeophyta. Like green algae, brown algae contains cholorophyll, and also contains a pigment called fucoxanthin which gives it its color. This algae is always rooted to a hard rock or shell, except in the genus Sargassum where they're free floating. Types of brown algae are Leathesia, Scytosiphon, Egregia, Laminaria, Postelsia, and Macrocystis.

Macrocystis

Postelsia

Facts about brown algae: 

• Brown algae is used in food thickeners, stabilizers, and fillers
• There are about 1,800 species of brown algae
• The largest species is kelp

Laminaria

Red Algae is in the phylum Rhodophyta. Red algae species range from one-celled to multi-celled organisms. Red algae get their energy from photosynthesis. Like the two others types of algae, red algae gets its color from cholorphyll and other pigments. However, red algae is different from brown and green algae in that it doesn't contain flagella. Some types of red algae are: Calliarthron, Melobesia, Corallina, Palmaria, Microcladia, Endocladia, Mazzaella, and Mastocarpus.

Palmaria

Facts about red algae: 

• Commonly found in tie pools and coral reefs
• A type of red algae, Coralline algae, helps to build tropical coral reefs 
• Coralline algae secretes calcium carbonate to build a hard shell for protection
• There are over 6,000 types of red algae

Microcladia

Algae is not just that slimy stuff you find at the beach, especially now that you know more! So next time you bite into some sushi, don't forget to think about exactly what you're eating.

Works Cited

"Facts about Green Algae." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 06 May 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

"What to Know About Brown Algae." About.com Education. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

"What to Know About Red Algae." About.com Education. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

Phytoplankton

Food webs and food chains often have one bottom part, most often Phytoplankton. The reason for this is because phytoplankton provide food for a wide range of marine life. Also known as micro-algae, these microscopic organisms contain chlorophyll and require sunlight to live. This is why phytoplankton are buoyant and reside in the top layer of the ocean where sunlight is still accessible.

Flagella of a Dinoflagellate

There are two main class of phytoplankton: dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates have flagella that extend to help with movement. Their main body is covered in a complex shell. Diatoms also have shells, but theirs are more rigid and have interlocking parts. Diatoms don't rely on flagella like dinoflagellates do to move, instead they rely on ocean currents. 

Phytoplankton blooms

One category of phytoplankton includes single-celled algae known as protists. These forms include diatoms. When these organisms bloom rapidly, the explode in population in response to changing season and also due to nitrogen, iron, and phosphorous. 

Diatoms

There is a type of phytoplankton known as photosynthetic bacteria. This abundant algae is "invisible but present in numbers of hundreds of thousands of cells per tablespoon of ocean water" (WHOI, "Phytoplankton"). These unknown organisms weren't found until the 1970's, and until then weren't found to be responsible for over half the ocean's productivity and abundance. 

Phytoplankton are a critical organism that generate about half of the atmosphere's oxygen, they transform and recycle elements needed by other organisms. However, their dense blooms can deplete oxygen in water, causing fish to suffocate. Overall, phytoplankton are very important to marine life's homeostasis.

Works Cited

"Phytoplankton." Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

"What Are Phytoplankton? : Feature Articles." What Are Phytoplankton? : Feature Articles. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

"What Are Phytoplankton?" What Are Phytoplankton? Web. 01 Mar. 2016.