Context
Recently, New algal species is discovered from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which has stunning bright green algae, resembling an umbrella or a mushroom.
Characteristic
- It is a bright green algae with a size as small as 20 to 40 mm.
- The newly-discovered species is that its nucleus forms a rhizoid structure, which facilitates the algae to attach itself to shallow rocks.
- Named after the imaginary sea mermaid, Acetabularia jalakanyakae is very primitive and is a single-cell organism.
- Jalakanyaka in Sanskrit literally means mermaid and a goddess of oceans.
- Acetabularia has highly regenerative potential. Even if one chops off the top portion, this algae can regrow.
Algae
- Algae are the source of more than half of the world’s oxygen through photosynthesis.
- They turn carbon dioxide into biomass and release oxygen.
- They play a vital role in the environment.
- Petroleum is essentially fossils of algae,the reason they call it fossil fuel.
- Marine algae produces almost two-third of oxygen.
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Concern
- The rise in temperature decreases oxygen levels in the water, affecting organisms that depend on oxygen to live, including the algae.
- They along with various Coral Reefs face the threat of sea levels rising due to Global Warming.
- Greenhouse gas emission-They are highly prone to Ocean Acidification caused by global Greenhouse Gas Emissions as the plants in the genus Acetabularia have rich calcium carbonate deposits that account for almost half their dry weight.
