Algae are simple, unicellular filamentous aquatic plants that grow in colonies which float in ponds, lakes and oceans. Algal associations are described in terms of their color, which is usually blue-green, green, red or brown. The red colonies may consist of dinoflagellates, diatoms, or phytoplankton, and their red or russet color results from the presence of peridinin pigment, which accumulates light during photosynthesis. Most of these organisms depend on light for photosynthesis and hence thrive only in shallow water (e.g., 18–90 m for dinoflagellates). As algal blooms create a strong demand for oxygen, anoxia (deficiency in oxygen) tends to occur in bottom waters underneath them.
Population sizes are closely tied to the availability of nutrients in freshwater or marine environments, especiay nitrogen and phosphorus from non-point pollution sources. Research in the Adriatic Sea suggests that a seawater concentration of 15,000 mg/m3of phytoplankton (i.e., diatoms or...
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Alexander, D.E. (1999). Algal pollution of seas and beaches. In: Environmental Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_10
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