Algae

Phycology, generally referred as algology, is the study of algae, a diverse group of mostly aquatic plants that range in size from microscopic forms to shrubs or trees. The word phycology comes from the Greek word phykos, which literally means “seaweed.” They are the major producers in the food chain …

Here, the Protista kingdom of Eukarya domain have been shortly introduced at first to get an idea over general characteristics of one of Protista’s members, the marine flora (mainly algae and seaweeds). (To know about domains of life, click here: Three Domain System.) Domain Eukarya Coming from the Greek words …

Pasturage of the Sea The vast ocean water is about 99%, of which usually up to 200 m depth or beyond (up to 300 m, depending on the latitudes, seasons, and water transparency) phytoplankton grow constituting “pasturage of the sea”.  Their photosynthetic activity contributes about 80% oxygen in the atmosphere …

The word ‘plankton’ has been derived from a Gr. word ‘planktos’ means drifting. So, plankton are those microscopic aquatic organisms or drifters whose movement is mainly driven by water current, wave, tide, etc. Although, some of them might possess some kinds of locomotory organs but those are not sufficiently strong …

Marine Botany is the study of aquatic plants and algae that live in oceans, seas, intertidal zones and even in brackish water (more saline than freshwater but less saline than true marine environments) of estuarine zones. It is a combined branch of marine biology and botany. According to Wikipedia, Marine …

The cultivation of nori started about 300 yrs ago around the coast of Tokyo Bay and developed gradually in many localities Bundles of twigs of trees such as oaks, cherry, etc. were set in rows on the ground as the collectors, to which nori spores attach themselves and grow. In …

Of the global seaweed harvest, 85% – 95% goes to the food industry and is worth approx €4.1 billion per annum (p.a.). The most valuable crop produced by seaweed aquaculture is Nori – Porphyra – a red seaweed or alga. The value of this crop is around US$ 2 billion …

Seaweed refers to several species of macroscopic, multi-cellular, marine algae. Macroalgae, which are found in the Divisions Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta are commonly called seaweeds because of their size, multicellular construction, and attachment to firm substrata. The three major divisions of seaweeds contain taxa that have more fundamental (e.g. cytological, …

Algal toxins are toxic substances released by some types of algae when they are present in large quantities (Blooms) and decay or degrade. These toxins are called ‘Phycotoxins’ (from Greek, phykos, “seaweed”; and toxikon, “toxin”). They are usually complex allelopathic metabolites produced by algal secondary metabolic pathways. These metabolites are (in most cases) not harmful to …

When we think of animals and plants, we have a pretty good way of dividing them into two distinct groups: one converts sunlight into energy and the other has to eat food to make its energy. Well, those dividing lines come crashing down with the discovery of a sea slug …