Difference between revisions of "Portal:Marine Biodiversity/Selected Article"

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Chlorophyllian photosynthesis is responible of almost all primary production at global
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Chlorophyllian [[Photosynthesis|photosynthesis]] is responible of almost all primary production at global
 
level and represents the most fundamental process for the support and maintenance
 
level and represents the most fundamental process for the support and maintenance
 
of life on our planet. Organisms performing photosynthesis occur in every habitat in
 
of life on our planet. Organisms performing photosynthesis occur in every habitat in

Revision as of 11:46, 31 July 2009

Diversity and classification of marine benthic algae

Algal canopy at low tide on the west coast of Irish Sea. Photo © EcoServe


Chlorophyllian photosynthesis is responible of almost all primary production at global level and represents the most fundamental process for the support and maintenance of life on our planet. Organisms performing photosynthesis occur in every habitat in which sunlight is available. Whereas vascular plants are largely responsible of photosynthesis on land, in aquatic habitats this process is mainly perfomed by the wide and heterogeneous complex of organisms called algae.

In the widest sense, algae are defined as oxygenic photosynthesizers other than embryophyte land plants (Cavalier-Smith, 2007). In recent years our knowledge of these organisms has greatly advanced, thanks to new types of data (mainly electron microscopy observations and DNA sequence data). Based on these data, we know now that algae represent an artificial and unnatural agglomeration of very different organisms, sharing the only common characteristic of living in aquatic habitats. Algae living in the sea are typically subdivided in plankton (the complex of microscopic algae not visible with unaided eye, which live floating in the water) and benthos (the collectivity of the algae that live attached to the sea bottom). More...