the.com/algae
the original terraformer that filled the sky with oxygen and never got a thank-you note
means Simple, mostly aquatic photosynthetic organisms—ranging from microscopic single cells to giant kelp—that lack the true roots, stems, and leaves of land plants.
from Straight from Latin alga, meaning 'seaweed'—the stuff that washes up and rots on the shore. The Romans used the word with some disdain (alga also flavored their slang for something worthless), and English borrowed it wholesale in the 16th century. Its deeper roots are murky; it's possibly related to a word meaning 'cold' or 'damp,' which fits the seaweed quite well.
- oxygen source
- Produces over half of Earth's oxygen
- size range
- From microscopic cells to 150-foot kelp
- ancient origin
- Cyanobacteria predate dinosaurs by billions of years
- fuel future
- Convertible into biodiesel and jet fuel
- red tides
- Some blooms turn water toxic and crimson
karl marx university lake — lake in leipzig, germany turned blood-red by algal bloom of planktothrix in 2021
lake urmia — hypersaline lake in iran shrunk to 10% size since 1990s, now bright green from salt-loving algae
monterey bay kelp forest — giant kelp (macroalgae) off california coast decimated by sea urchin blooms, monitored since 1970s