Algae[1]
Algae is a plant that
can range from a small single-celled form to more intricate multi-cellular
forms. They are photosynthetic
organisms and exist in a wide variety of habitats. While most people associate this organism with water, algae can
also occupy desert sands. Fossil records have dated it back approximately 3 billion
years.
The importance of
algae is multi-layered. It provides
oxygen for other aquatic life forms, is the chief creator of organic matter for
the lower members of the food chain and can contribute to the human economy
directly as a source of food, medicine and other products. When an algal bloom
occurs (due to excess nutrients), algae contribute to mass mortality of other
marine organisms.