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Today, algae are used by humans in many ways; for example, as fertilizers, soil conditioners, and livestock feed. [123] Aquatic and microscopic species are cultured in clear tanks or ponds and are either harvested or used to treat effluents pumped through the ponds. Algaculture on a large scale is an important type of aquaculture in some places.
Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not have roots, stems, or leaves. They are specially adapted to an environment dominated by viscous forces. Microalgae, capable of performing photosynthesis , are important for life on earth; they produce approximately half of the atmospheric oxygen [ 2 ] and use the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to grow ...
Algal mats played an important role in the Great Oxidation Event on Earth some 2.3 billion years ago. Algal mats can become a significant ecological problem, if the mats grow so expansive or thick as to disrupt the other underwater marine life by blocking the sunlight or producing toxic chemicals .
So how does algae become biodiesel? Garton explained the algae has to be grown and cultivated. Afterwards, oil must be extracted from the algae, which can be further refined and turned into biodiesel.
Algae exhibits geographical versatility, capable of thriving in diverse climates, including the most severe environments on Earth. They demonstrate adaptability across varying altitudes, latitudes, and geographies, without the need for agriculturally productive or environmentally sensitive land for reproduction.
The researcher behind this outlined the benefits of using this food replacement for chickens in that it improved growth and wellbeing of the chicken. While this example is not a natural one, it does outline the use of algae as a food source for domestic chickens, an important consideration in the future of both algophagy and agriculture.
Declines in the duration and extent of sea ice in the Arctic leads to declines in the abundance of ice algae, which thrive in nutrient-rich pockets in the ice. These algae are eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn eaten by Arctic cod, an important food source for many marine mammals, including seals. Seals are eaten by polar bears.
In a reversal of the pattern on land, in the oceans, almost all photosynthesis is performed by algae and cyanobacteria, with a small fraction contributed by vascular plants and other groups. Algae encompass a diverse range of organisms, ranging from single floating cells to attached seaweeds. They include photoautotrophs from a variety of groups.