APUNTES 1BOTANICA2 3 Juan Caicedo R

Apuntes

APUNTES “BOTANICA” – Juan Caicedo R 1 MARINE BOTANY “Unit 1” SUBJECT 1 – Introduction to marine botany •Generalities - Algae are aquatic (with exceptions), oxygen-producing photosynthetic autotrophs that can be unicellular, colonial, filamentous, or composed of simple tissues. - Mainly aquatic autotrophs, they can be eukaryotic or prokaryotic, reproducing via spores or gametes. - Plants are often related to algae due to parallel evolution, sharing similar morphological and physiological traits. •Algae importance - They are primary producers. - Upwelling areas surface large amounts of primary producers from the depths. - Marine cyanobacteria, discovered in 1988, are the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic organisms in the ocean, responsible for one-third of oceanic primary production. - They serve as food for herbivorous marine animals. - Act as carbon sinks. - Increase biodiversity: algae on the seafloor attract organisms, creating microhabitats and offering protection. - They influence climate by affecting water temperature and pH. - Resources for humans include food, algaculture, energy, industry, pharmacy, and bioplastics. •General Char...