Algae, considered as a biological substance, refers collectively to the biomass or biogenic material derived from photosynthetic, typically aquatic, non-vascular organisms encompassing microalgae (e.g., chlorophytes, diatoms, cyanobacteria in some usages) and macroalgae (seaweeds). This substance is characterized by high concentrations of pigments (such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins), variable macromolecular composition (proteins, polysaccharides, lipids), and often substantial contents of structural or storage polysaccharides (e.g., starch, alginates, carrageenans). Algal biomass is studied as a feedstock for biorefinery applications, including biofuels, bioplastics, nutraceuticals, and as a source of specialized metabolites with defined biochemical and physicochemical properties.
Globally, coral reefs are under siege by multiple stressors, one of which is herbaceous algae. An overabundance of algae on reefs can lead to regime shifts of reefs from being coral-dominated to algal-dominated.
Plants & Animals
Dec 2, 2025
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Researchers at the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and the University of Bremen have studied the nutritional value of five edible seaweed species, including some lesser-known algae, and examined their potential ...
Agriculture
Nov 28, 2025
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Earth's largest mass extinction occurred about 252 million years ago, wiping out the majority of marine and terrestrial life, disrupting the global carbon cycle for several hundred thousand years, and earning the title "the ...
Ecology
Nov 13, 2025
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Land plants—such as mosses, ferns and trees—are some of the most structurally complex photosynthesizing organisms on Earth. But their evolutionary story is deeply tied to their ancestors: simpler green algae that lived hundreds ...
Evolution
Nov 3, 2025
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101
Lichens were already widespread more than 410 million years ago, according to a new international study that identifies a fossil from Brazil as one of the oldest lichen in Earth's history.
Ecology
Oct 30, 2025
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Too much sun can ruin photosynthesis, scorching plants and other organisms that depend on capturing sunlight for energy. Beneath the waves, though, algae have found a clever shield.
Ecology
Oct 22, 2025
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Seaweed is found around the world. In fact, the name "seaweed" comprises a diverse range of species, from microscopic phytoplankton to the giant forests found in various bodies of water.
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 21, 2025
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The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is, overall, a disaster. But paradoxically, the melting of the ice can also fuel the engine of the Arctic food chains: algae.
Ecology
Oct 20, 2025
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To help mitigate climate change, companies are using bioreactors to grow algae and other microorganisms that are hundreds of times more efficient at absorbing CO2 than trees. Meanwhile, in the pharmaceutical industry, cell ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 16, 2025
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66
As the climate warms and nutrient inputs shift, algal communities in cool, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe will likely experience seasonal changes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, published ...
Ecology
Oct 6, 2025
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