The New Ocean by Bryn Barnard

Author:Bryn Barnard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2017-05-01T16:00:00+00:00

Blue-green algae are one of the oldest and most adaptable creatures on Earth. These microscopic organisms are three billion years old and found everywhere: in the ocean, in lakes, on rocks, in deserts, even in the fur of some sloths, where they work as camouflage.

Blue-green algae are not plants (they are classified as a kind of bacteria), but like plants, they are photosynthetic: they take in sunlight and carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Many sea and land plants make the oxygen we breathe, but blue-green algae were the first to do so. Because of blue-green algae, the ancient Earth’s atmosphere changed from one filled with carbon dioxide and other gases to one that is mostly oxygen. Without blue-green algae, the Earth would be a very different place. Because they exist, we exist.

• Many blue-green algae species are toxic, but many others are harmless and taken as a dietary supplement by people who believe it has certain health benefits.

• Under certain conditions, blue-green algae can bloom rapidly, like jellyfish can. If toxic, these blue-green algae blooms can kill plants, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and people.

• Despite their name, blue-green algae can come in many different colors. Blue-green algae also come in many structures: as tiny individual cells, as clusters, or as colonies that can form balls or sheets or long strings like dental floss.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.