Kinds of Algae

Algae are simple plant-like organisms.

Algae is a term that encompasses a large group of organisms from several phylogenetic groups. Basically, algae are plant-like organisms that are able to perform photosynthesis, are largely aquatic and do not have real roots, leaves, stems and vascular tissue. Algae have simple reproductive systems.

Chlorophyta

Chlorophyta, or green algae, belong to the kingdom of Protista, which is made up of unicellular, multicellular, coenocytic or colonial organisms. Coenocytic organisms are those that have more than one nucleus in a cell. Green algae will reproduce so rapidly under the right conditions that the water will turn green. This condition is known as an algae bloom and is caused by exposure to too much light or direct sunlight. They will reproduce sexually under some circumstances, but their usual means of reproduction is by cell division.

Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are a phylum of prokaryotic aquatic bacteria also known as blue-green algae. These algae may be single-celled or colonial. They produce their own food through photosynthesis and are found in a variety of habitats. Depending on the environmental conditions, colonies of cyanobacteria may form hollow balls or dense sheets of slimy filaments.

Dinoflagellata

Dinoflagellata are either heterotrophic or photosynthetic organisms that play an important part in the biology of coral reefs. They are colorless predators of other protozoa, and some species are even parasitic. Dinoflagellata mainly reproduce asexually or through a simple division of cells following mitosis. Many species of Dinoflagellata are phosphorus and are responsible for the phosphorescence that can be observed at night in tropical seas. They are also primary sources of food in warmer oceans.

Diatoms

Diatoms are unicellular organisms that belong to the kingdom Protista. They exist singly or in colonies, are usually brownish or yellowish colored and live in salt and freshwater, the moist surface of plants and moist soil. Marine and freshwater diatoms are usually abundant early in a year because of a phenomenon known as spring bloom. Diatoms have a silica shell that does not decay when they die. The shells collect at the bottom of their habitat and form a material known as diatomaceous earth. A compact, lightweight formation of diatomaceous formation is known as diatomite and is used in the production of explosives, as insulating material against sound and heat and as abrasives. Diatoms that have been deposited over the millennia are a major contributing material for fossil fuel. They are also the source of most of the earth's limestone deposits.

References

• Lentech: Algae description and types
• Otocinclus: Types of Algae and How To Control Them
• Cichlid Forum: Types of Algae

Resources

• Aquaticscape: Algae