Algae: Related Content
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Dugong Feeding
A dugong feeds on seagrass off of Egypt's coast in the Red Sea.
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Sea Grapes: A Google Earth Tour
“Sea grapes” may sound like something Poseidon would snack on, and not a killer algae. Yet Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea poses a serious threat to marine life. Spread by the bilge water of boats, this fast-growing alga is quick to take root, squeezing out native species.
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Killer Algae (Caulerpa taxifolia)
A strain of this green seaweed, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, escaped public and private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It has spread widely in the Mediterranean, replacing native plants and depriving marine life of food and habitat.
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5 Invasive Species You Should Know
Regardless of what continent you live on, the waters that surround it are home to marine invaders. The ocean is teeming with plants and animals willing and able to move beyond their native habitats. Often all they need is a ride. Enter: humans. Some invaders hitchhike on ship hulls or inside ballast tanks, others are introduced through the aquarium trade.
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Red Tide
Algae, like all organisms, normally grow in natural balance with their ecosystems. But sometimes, certain species of algae reproduce so rapidly that they cause damage. In the ocean, microscopic forms of algae, known as dinoflagellates, can "bloom" into dense patches near the surface, often referred to as "red tides." Some of these harmful algal blooms (HABs) are dangerous, producing toxins that can kill marine organisms, taint shellfish, cause skin irritations, and even foul the air.
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Scientists Work to Predict and Prevent Algae Blooms
Algae, like all organisms, normally grow in natural balance with their ecosystems. But sometimes, certain species of algae reproduce so rapidly that they cause damage. In the ocean, microscopic forms of algae can "bloom" into dense patches near the surface, often referred to as "red tides." Some of these harmful algal blooms (HABs) are dangerous, producing toxins that can kill marine organisms, taint shellfish, cause skin irritations, and even foul the air.
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No Fouling Around
Since the dawn of seafaring, humankind has had to deal with the pesky creatures that settle on ships—seaweeds, barnacles, and others that take advantage of the empty real estate provided by a clean hull. Fouled hulls make for slower speeds and for powerboats, higher fuel costs (drag is a drag).
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Sargassum fish from the Waters of South Korea
The sargassum fish (Histrio histrio) is a member of the frogfish family (Antennariidae) and typically lives in open waters near floating sargassum seaweed, which offers camouflage. Although capable of swimming quite rapidly, this fish often crawls through the sargassum weed, using its pectoral fins like arms.
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Globigerinoides ruber
This foraminifer was collected as it floated about 3 meters below the surface off the coast of Puerto Rico. The central dark area is the shell surrounded by spines. The tiny yellow dots are symbiotic algae, which live in the protoplasm of the host organism. When the foraminifer dies, the spines fall off and only the shell is preserved in the fossil record.
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Queen Parrotfish
Munch, munch. The queen parrotfish (Scarus vetula) scrapes algae from Caribbean coral reefs with its parrot-like beak. This fish is an adult male. But when young, parrotfish have the ability to change sex, depending on the population’s needs.
