4 ms·
They suck out oxygen too. That's how you get ocean deadzones.
by cropsieboss 9y ago
They suck out oxygen too. That's how you get ocean deadzones.
- dredmorbius 9y agoThat depends on whether you've got photosynthetic or abiotic algae. Blue-green algae produce oxygen. One theory on ice-ages involves what's basically pond-lilly taking over the Arctic, which at the time was a shallow sea with a freshwater lens over salt water.
- cropsieboss 9y agoCyanobacteria would still use oxygen when there is no light, and other nutrients. By allowing them to burst in numbers they would easily suck it all out of the sea.
- sddfd 9y ago>abiotic algae What specific species are you referring to? >Blue-green algae produce oxygen. That is only true during daylight. At night algae consume oxygen. Independently, photosynthetic activity can increase pH values drastically.
- dredmorbius 9y agoSpecific mechanism is described here. It's the bacterial decomposition of the algae rather than the algael bloom itself which directly prompts the issue. A bit of hair splitting, but useful for understanding what's going on. https://articles.extension.org/pages/45651/if-algae-produce-oxygen-in-a-pond-how-can-having-too-much-algae-cause-an-oxygen-depletion https://articles.extension.org/pages/45651/if-algae-produce-...