Marine Algae. Seaweed is a term applied to multicellular, marine algae which are large enough to be seen by the eye unaided. Some can grow to up to 60 metres in length. Seaweeds include members of the red, brown and green algae.
What do marine algae do?
Marine algae are an important primary producer in the marine food chain, and affect the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic in the marine ecosystem. Marine algae have the capacity to accumulate 1000 times more arsenic than its concentration in the surrounding sea water [105].
How does algae survive in the marine biome?
Algae are important in marine environments. They are at the bottom of the food chain, meaning many ocean creatures eat algae as their main source of food. To get the energy algae need to survive, they use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
What are available in marine algae?
Marine algae have two major bioactive compounds: sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) and polyphenol. The major SPs include fucoidan and laminaran [89].
What process does algae carry?
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms use sunlight to produce sugars for energy. Plants, algae and cyanobacteria all conduct oxygenic photosynthesis 1,14. That means they require carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight (solar energy is collected by chlorophyll A).
Is marine algae a plant?
Marine algae (seaweeds and phytoplankton) are a loose group of some of the simplest organisms that contain chlorophyll (like plants) but include members of both the Empires Prokaryota(Kingdom Bacteria – e.g., cyanobacteria) and Eukaryota (Kingdoms Chromista, Plantae and Protozoa…).
Where does photosynthesis take place in algae?
In algal and plant cells, photosynthesis occurs within chloroplasts. Inside the double membrane that surrounds the chloroplast—known as the chloroplast envelope—light is harvested and converted into biochemical energy by pigment–protein complexes and associated proteins found in membrane structures called thylakoids.
Why are marine algae and plants important in marine habitats?
Marine plants and algae provide food and shelter to fish and other marine life, but they are not just important to aquatic ecosystems; they provide about 70 – 80 percent of the oxygen on Earth, making them extremely important in our everyday lives as well!
What are the characteristics of marine biome?
Marine biomes have more salt and are characteristic of the oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Most aquatic organisms do not have to deal with extremes of temperature or moisture. Instead, their main limiting factors are the availability of sunlight and the concentration of dissolved oxygen and nutrients in the water.