Turtle Weed Algae - Species of the Reef

The unsung hero of the reef are the algaes. They provide food for the many herbivores on the reef providing the foundation of most marine food chains. In todays' world one of their most important roles is turning carbon dioxide into oxygen and food. As you can see, protecting the reef helps protect our oxygen supplies.
Large algae may also provide homes for a wide variety of small organisms. The algae above is known as turtle weed and is found on the Great Barrier Reef. It can be found from 5 m to about 20 metres deep. Turtle weed is popular in home aquariums also, playing its' part in the removal of nitrates and converting CO2 to oxygen.

Algae Blooms

Another event that is important in the life cycle of the marine world are the algae blooms. This photo taken just outside Cape Grafton shows the streams of algae that are taken with the coastal currents along the East Coast of Australia.

One Month to Go in the Photo Competition

Only one month to go with the Reefcheck photo competition so get your entries in quickly. With the judges nixing my idea of a special category for algae in this years competition, I am all out of ideas for something different. So get your creative juices flowing and send in your entries. Algae the grass of the sea, very underrated and very much an integral part of the ecosystem. Keep the pressure up for an algae category in 2009!