Algae

1
Algae

• Do we need algae?
• How is it connected to our Blue Crab population
  research?

2
Algae

• Algae (singular alga) are plants or plantlike
  organisms that contain chlorophyll and other
  pigments (coloring matter) that trap light from
  the Sun. This light energy is then converted into
  food molecules in a process called photosynthesis

3
Types of Algae

• There are seven divisions of organisms that make
  up the algae. They are grouped according to the
  types of pigments they use for photosynthesis,
  the makeup of their cell walls, the types of
  carbohydrate compounds they store for energy, and
  the types of flagella (whiplike structures) they
  use for movement.

4
Importance of Algae

• Microscopic algae are the source of much of
  Earth's oxygen. Algae are also very important
  ecologically because they are the beginning of
  the food chain for other animals. Phytoplankton,
  a mostly single-celled type of algae, are eaten
  by small animals called zooplankton.

5
Algal Blooms

• Algal blooms are an overabundance of algae that
  can severely affect the aquatic ecosystems in
  which they occur.
• The great numbers of microorganisms can rob the
  water of oxygen, causing many fish to suffocate.
• Freshwater algae can also cause problems when
  they are overly abundant. Algal blooms can cause
  foul tastes in water stored in reservoirs that
  are used to provide drinking water to nearby
  communities.

6
What effects do algae have?

• On the environment
• On the food chain
• On the blue crab population