Question

What is algal bloom?

Answer 1

Algae are those organisms that are neither animals or plants. But, algae belong to a separate class of living organisms called protists. Algae are living structures that occur extensively throughout the world. They exist and present in different sizes, shapes, and colours. They may be autographs depending upon other organisms’ surfaces, or rocks or in soil. Algae are important because they fulfil much of the oxygen demand on earth that we humans and other animals require for breathing.

Complete answer:
The term algal bloom or algae bloom is a process of rapidly increase in the population of algae in the freshwater or marine water habitat and the bloom is identified by the discolouration of the water. This includes many types of photosynthetic marine organisms, also they are macroscopic, multicellular organisms like seaweeds and minute, single-celled bacterial forms like cyanobacteria. One example of algal bloom is kelps forest.

Importance:-

It is a source of Oxygen- Algae are responsible for more than thirty percent of the total oxygen produced by photosynthesis. Some study also says that around fifty-percent oxygen demand by terrestrial animals is fulfilled from algae.

It is a source of Food - Algae belongs to the category of primary producers. They are very important as many marine organisms completely depend on algae to meet their food requirements.

It is an Indicator of Pollution- Its growth is a clear indication of water contamination. When the mineral content of the water increases because of the mineral rich agricultural waste, fertilizers and agricultural chemicals having nitrogen and phosphorus, then there is a rapid growth of algae which inhibits others plants growth.

It protects Habitat- Many species of algae give habitats to various different organisms. Kelp forests are an example that acts as a shelter to different organisms like snails, shrimps, sea urchins, etc. many species of kelp may be there in kelp forest.

Note: An algal bloom influences all existing ecosystems. It can be beneficial, like nourishing higher trophic levels organisms, or can be harmful, such as it prevents the entry of sun rays for other organisms or species.
Eutrophication leads to oxygen loss in the atmosphere, and production of various toxins into the environment depending on the habitat.