Click photo for larger view
Algae are photosynthetic organisms that
can grow in a variety of places, ranging from hypersaline water to ocean
water to freshwater. They vary from small, single-celled forms to complex multicellular forms,
like kelps, seagrasses and seaweeds. In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, coralline algae
is important in the formation of reefs. Many types of algae are
used by humans for food (like the limu kohu, above), medicine and other products.
Algae are important as primary producers at the base of the food chain.
Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, for example, spend a lot of time gliding over
the reefs, browsing on the seaweeds and algae there.
Algae also provide oxygen for other aquatic life. Unfortunately, with pollution or other environmental damage, algae reproduction may run amok and contribute to mass mortality of other organisms, in the case of algal blooms, for example.
Algae Links
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Photo courtesy UH Coral Reef Network
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