Article: Dive dry with dr. Bill #628: Red algae do "it" deeper

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

drbill

The Lorax for the Kelp Forest
Scuba Legend
Rest in Peace
Messages
22,824
Reaction score
6,061
Location
Santa Catalina Island, CA
# of dives
2500 - 4999
"... you'd expect to find red algae at deeper depths where the blue end of the spectrum is more predominant..."

Hmmm...I would think that the proportion of the blue end of the spectrum would be greater at depth, but the energy available from the blue end would be greater at the surface, and therefore you would expect to find more red algae at the surface than at depth. The proportion of red to other colored algae might be expected to be greater at depth in that the other algae would not absorb as much energy. one other possibility is that the green algae outcompetes the red for nutrients at the surface, but that would be another issue independent of color absorption.
 
Good point... perhaps that's why we often see coralline reds in the intertidal and subtidal zones.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom