It's all about that Algae

What is Algae?

Algae are the most important life forms on Earth. Still, many can't answer the question, "What is algae?" First of all, "algae" is plural, so it is better to ask "What are algae?"
The word “algae” embraces a huge variety of life forms, and scientists don’t always agree on which organisms are algae, and which ones aren’t.
You may think of algae as plants that float in the water, but that’s not exactly correct. Like plants, algae make their own food by photosynthesis. But algae aren’t planted in the ground, so they aren’t really plants.
Furthermore, some algae don’t live in the water, they might live in the soil or in the snow, and some algae have even been found floating in clouds. So you can think of algae as photosynthetic life forms that usually float in the water.
There are huge numbers of algae. Everything from the tiniest photosynthetic bacterium to a giant kelp that grows 200 feet tall are considered algae.

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Why are algae so important?

The oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface, yet algae produce more than 71% of the Earth’s oxygen; in fact, some scientists believe that algae produce 87% of the world’s oxygen.
They also help remove huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide from the air. Carbon Dioxide causes global warming, so algae are one of our most important allies in the fight against climate change.
They are the basis of most food chains in the ocean and in fresh water. No algae, no fish.
Someday, algae may allow us to stop burning petroleum.