Zooxanthellae are the photosynthetic organism that live within coral reefs and supply the food to the reef building corals. They have a symbiotic relationship with the other protists but can also live an independent life. Enjoy this quick video about the process!
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: I for Irish Moss
February 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia
Irish moss is also known as carageen. Carageen is a deep red alga that grows around rocky substrates along both coasts of of the north Atlantic Ocean. Carrageenan is a gelatinous material extracted from Irish Moss and can be used as a vegetarian alternative to gelatin. It is found in ice cream, soy milk, diet soda and even used in fake saliva for movie effects.
What is red tide?
September 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
a red tide (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
About six years ago I went to a wedding on the Gulf of Mexico which was extraordinary except for the occurrence of red tide. Don’t get me wrong, the guests and bride and groom all had a fabulous time despite the red tide. How did it affect us? We were not permitted to swim in the ocean and made the best out of it by playing run the bases on the beach. We could only do this for a little while since it actually affected our breathing and so we took a lot of breaks for margaritas.
It got me wondering what is a red tide? From my research it seems that red tides are not always red and have nothing to do with tides. Scientists are trying to wash away the term red tide and use the term harmful algae bloom (HAB) which explains a bit better about what happens during these occurrences. During a HAB on the Gulf of Mexico there is a high concentration of microscopic marine algae known as Karenia brevis. This is not the only algal culprit to an HAB, but, it is the most frequent. In the Gulf of Mexico the algae Alexandrium fundyense has been known to cause serious damage to local fisheries. In low concentrations these algae is not harmful. But, with high concentrations fish suffocate after it paralyzes their central nervous system. Also, many shellfish that filter water can accumulate the toxins and become inedible to eat.
How harmful algal blooms occur is still under debate. It can be a natural or man-made occurrence.
Do you have another great question? Email info@beachchairscientist.com and let me know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!
A Few Lines from Rehoboth Beach by Fleda Brown
August 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Dear friend, you were right: the smell of fish and foam
and algae makes one green smell together. It clears
my head. It empties me enough to fit down in my own
skin for a while, singleminded as a surfer. The first
day here, there was nobody, from one distance
to the other. Rain rose from the waves like steam,
dark lifted off the dark. All I could think of
were hymns, all I knew the words to: the oldest
motions tuning up in me. There was a horseshoe crab
shell, a translucent egg sack, a log of a tired jetty,
and another, and another. I walked miles, holding
my suffering deeply and courteously, as if I were holding
a package for somebody else who would come back
like sunlight. In the morning, the boardwalk opened
wide and white with sun, gulls on one leg in the slicks.
Cold waves, cold air, and people out in heavy coats,
arm in arm along the sheen of waves. A single boy
in shorts rode his skimboard out thigh-high, making
intricate moves across the March ice-water. I thought
he must be painfully cold, but, I hear you say, he had
all the world emptied, to practice his smooth stand.
Read more about this author here.
What is seaweed used for?
May 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Agar is a form of red algae. It can be used as the agar gel that lines the bottom of scientists petri dishes. Agar is also a stabilizer for some foods, including ice cream (not Breyers’). It is also a stabilizer in cosmetics and paint.
Carrageen, from a red algae called Irish moss, is also used in food. It helps in foods that needs ingredients to be suspended prior to refrigeation. For instance, it is in chocolate milk to make certain the chocolate does not sink to the bottom.
Kelp, a leafy green algae found in the Pacific, is used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world.
Betcha didn’t know many different types of seaweeds have been used in medicine that help treat tuberculosis, arthritis, influenza, the common cold and some worm infections.
Also, algae is a major source of oxygen and the very important beginning of the ocean food chain.
Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!
Why do I always see so many dead crabs along the shoreline?
February 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Rest assure those crab skeletons are not all dead crabs. They are the molts from the animals. Crabs, lobsters, horseshoe crabs, and many other crustaceans go through a molting phase and the old shell is basically washed up in the wrack line.
The wrack line is the deposits from the ocean after the tide has gone back out to sea. It’s often defined by seaweed that entangles lots of fun ocean treasures such as sea beans, old leathery sea turtle eggs, and sometimes marine debris. It’s my favorite spot to explore!
Do you have another great question? Email info@beachchairscientist.com and let me know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!
How does coral bleaching result?
December 22, 2008 by 1 Comment
Coral bleaching is due to the fact that the algae part of the coral reef ecosystem can no longer photosynthesize properly – therfore, losing the “reef” structure and the corals remain white – since the zooxannthellea are not around (that’s the algae – and responsible for the color of the coral). This occurs due to a lack of sunlight – mostly from a build up of substances (usually, man made – on the surface of the ocean).
What is the second largest reef in the world?
December 22, 2008 by 2 Comments
Interesting question.
The top three largest coral reef ecosystems in the world are:
1) Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia
2) Belize Barrier Reef
3) Florida Keys Reef Ecosystem
A coral reef ecosystem relies on teamwork between the coral animal (a type of cnidarians) and an algae called zooxannthellea.
Is seaweed really a “weed”?
July 15, 2008 by 2 Comments
Actually seaweed is a term given too many different types of marine plants that grow in the ocean and none of them are weeds, in the sense that we would try to get rid up them with a weed killer.
The basic scientific term would really be algae. Algae (Red, brown, or green) are a very large single celled phytoplankton.
Phytoplankton in the world’s oceans is extremely important due to their immense numbers.
Did you know there is more phytoplankton producing oxygen and absorbing the carbon dioxide than there are trees on the land?
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