Marine%20Algae

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Marine Algae

• By Mike Dedio, Christian Bailey, Alex Zimm,
  Arianna Dean

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Algae Basics

• Algae are Eukaryotic meaning that their cells
  have a nucleus-classified under the kingdom of
  protista
• They are autotrophs, producing their own food
  from photosynthesis
• Algae and marine plants produce upwards of 70 of
  the oxygen for terrestrial life

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Algae Basics Continued

• Many algae species form symbiotic relationships
  with other species supplying organic substances
  and receiving protection
• Used as fertilizer, engergy source, food source,
  for pigments, pollution control, and medicinal
  purposes

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Seaweeds

• Seaweeds are multicellular algae that live in the
  sunlit waters of the ocean.
• Ulva- A common tissue thin seaweed that contains
  chloroplasts.
• Some marine animals eat alga for the nutrients it
  provides while others filter the nutrients from
  the water such as barnacles

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Seaweeds
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Reproductive Cycle of Algae

• Thallus- The leafy part of seaweed.
• Ulva use asexual reproduction.
• Specialized cells at the end of the Thallus
  produce spores called sporophyte thallus which is
  diploids.
• Spore- A repoductive cell that contains the
  organisms number of chromosomes.

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Reproductive Cycle of Algae continued.

• Spores have flagella that move back and forth,
  the spores will at some point reach the ocean
  floor.
• They land on a suitable substrate each develop
  into a leafy thallus that produces gametes.
• Gametes- Are reproductive cells that contqain the
  haploid number of chromosomes necessary for
  sexual reproduction.

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Reproductive Cycle of Algae Continued

• The life cycle of Ulva is composed of two separte
  stages or generations- the sporophyte and
  gametophyte gernerations
• The succession of two types of generations is
  called alternation of generations.

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Brown Algae

• Classified in the phylum Phaeophyta
• Brown or olive green in color, the color results
  from mixtures of pigments in the cells of the
  algae
• Mostly the green pigment chlorophyll and the
  yellow pigment xanthophyll, the blending of these
  pigments result in a brown color.

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Brown Algae
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Brown Algae Continued..

• Provide shelter and/or nutrients for other
  organisms, and are used materials people find
  valuable.
• For example, the sea palm which grows on rocks
  and resembles a tiny palm tree can be eaten raw
  or cooked.
• Rockweed attaches to rocks in the intertidal
  zones along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf
  coasts.
• The rockweeds holdfast, anchors the algae to
  rocks, it is a tough, fibrous pad of tissue, and
  it also prevents the algae from being dislodged
  from his holding from strong currents and waves
  for example.

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Brown Algae Continued..

• The largest seaweeds in the ocean are called kelp
  which falls under the category of brown algae.
• Laminaria, a type of kelp, thrives in the color
  waters of the temperate zone, mainly concentrated
  of the coasts of Maine and California.
• They grow rapidly from the seafloor to the
  surface of the water.

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Brown Algae Continued

• Giant kelps, like the Nereocystis and
  Macrocystis, can reach a length of more than 60
  meters.
• Fish, shellfish, sea urchins, sea lions, sea
  otters, and sharks all live around giant kelp for
  food and shelter.
• A chemical in algae called algin, is used in many
  different industries for food preparations,
  medicines, paints, and paper products.

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Brown Algae Continued.

• One type of brown algae that is not anchored to a
  substrate is the Sargassum, floats on the waters
  surface in places such as South Atlantic Ocean
  and in some seas off the coasts of Asia.

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Red Algae

• Most abundant of the marine algae
• Classified in phylum Rhodophyta
• Found in intertidal to subtidal zone and some
  species at great depths of ocean
• Contains red pigment phycoerythin and the blue
  pigment phycocyanin
• These two pigments allow for photosynthesis to
  occur at much deeper waters to carry out
  photosynthesis
  

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Red Algae continued

• types of red algae include Coralline Algae, Irish
  Moss, Porphyra, and Lithothamnion

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Coralline Algae(Corallinia)

• Hard and brittle red algae with calcium carbonate
  in the cell walls
• Found attached to rocks in lower intertidal zone
• Many are epiphytic (growing on other algae and
  marine angiosperms) or epizoic (grow on animals)
• Used as soil conditioners and in medicine

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Irish moss(Chrondrus Crispus)

• Short, bushy, spongy red algae
• Found in lower intertidal and subtidal zones
• Found carpeting rocks
• Contains a chemical called carrageean which is
  used as a binding agent in ice cream, puddings,
  and toothpaste
• Others like this contain a chemical called agar
  that is used to make food, medicinal products as
  well as a medium for growing bacteria

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Porphyra

• Thin and delicate, sheetlike red algae
• Also called Nori
• Grows in intertidal zone usually attached to
  rocks
• Is the most commonly eaten seaweed
• There are 60-70 species of porphyra found world
  wide

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Lithothamnion

• Known as encrusting stony red algae
• Grows on rocks and is often found on the shells
  of hermit crabs
• Adorns shells with a bright red color