Most folks see algae as an adversary. If it weren’t for algae, I believe many more people would own ponds. There is just something about green stuff in the water that makes people think, “Yuck, let’s kill it.” Maybe if we understood a bit more about algae, we could look at it in a different light.
The term algae is used to label a group of approximately 27,000 different types of predominantly aquatic photosynthetic organisms of the kingdom Protista. The many types of algae are very diverse, and they range in size from microscopic micromonas to 200-foot-long kelp. Algae can be green, blue, red, or brown and they mostly live in water, but some types live in soil and on leaves, wood, and stones. Algae can even grow on some animals, such as turtles.
The photosynthetic pigments they contain are more varied than those of plants, and their cells have features not found among plants and animals, so they are unique and very different from most other things we come across in the pond. I think most people view them as plants because they clearly take advantage of sunlight and photosynthesis for their growth.
Algae definitely have beneficial aspects. They produce oxygen and are the food base for almost all aquatic life. They are an important material for crude oil and have been used for foods, pharmaceuticals, and some industrial products for humans.
Algae seem like they would be plants because they are green like plants, and they use the sun’s energy to grow, but they don’t have roots, stems, leaves, or reproductive structures, so that is not very plant-like at all. So, they are not considered plants or animals; scientists call them protists.
The amount of algae in any given environment is directly related to the amount of moisture, sunlight, and nutrients. All natural water bodies contain algae, and these essential organisms help to keep the ecosystem balanced. But when the nutrient levels become too high, the algae can grow so aggressively that ponds can be completely covered, which can deplete the pond’s oxygen and block sunlight from entering the water. This can be very disruptive to the pond’s ecosystem.
Algae grows by forming organic food molecules from carbon dioxide and water through photosynthesis. Just like land plants are a primary food source for land animals, algae are a primary food source for all of the inhabitants of our water bodies, including the earth’s oceans. Algae are heavily relied upon in the oceans as a food source for whales, fish, turtles, shrimp, lobster, clams, octopus, and almost any other sea animal you can name.
Algae grow worldwide in one form or another, and there are estimates that algae produce 30 to 50 percent of the oxygen available to humans and other terrestrial animals on the earth. If we consider that fact and the fact that they are a significant food source for many of the earth’s animals, maybe we should learn how to coexist with algae rather than trying to eliminate it.
I know that it can be frustrating when your beautiful pond has green algae floating around in it, but the next time that you see this, remember how important algae is to our earth and all of the earth’s animals. Maybe if we could all consider algae in this light, we could have a bit more patience and realize that the algae in our ponds is healthy as long as we keep it to a minimum. If we have excessive algae in our ponds, it is likely just the symptom that we can see of a pond with too many nutrients in the water. Many times, these situations are short lived and can be remedied rather easily with some healthy and natural choices. Also, keep in mind that coming out of spring, algae gets a jump on all of our pond plants, so it is not unusual to get an algae bloom first thing in spring. Let’s see if we can consider algae more of a friend than an enemy. I don’t think it will ever be our best friend, but I think we should be friendly.