Beneath A Floating Algal Mat
Beneath A Floating Algal Mat
Beneath A Floating Algal Mat
Algal mat is one of many types of microbial mat formed on the water surface or on
the surface of rocks. It is made out of blue-green cyanobacteria and sediments. It is
formed by having alteration layers between the blue-green bacteria and sediments,
creating dark-laminated layers.Stromatolites are prime examples of algal mat. Algal
mats played an important role in the Great Oxidation Event on Earth some 2.3
billion years ago. Overpopulation of algal mat may be an ecological problem, when
mats disrupt the other underwater marine life by blocking thesunlight.
Stromatolites
Stromatolites are alternating layers of cyanobacteria and sediments. The grain size of sediment portion of stromatolites is affected by
the depositional environment. During the Proterozoic, the stromatolite’s compositions were dominated by micrite and thinly
laminated lime mud, with thickness no more than 100 microns.[2] Modern stromatolites are characterized by their thicker and
irregular laminations due to coarser grain size. Stromatolites trap sediment particles when the particles come to a rest from wave
agitation.[2] Trapping is separate process where filaments of bacteria traps the particle, provided the angle of the filaments are still
within the limits before the grain rolls off due to overcoming the friction of the film.[2] The same authors found that the length of the
filaments played an important role in deciding the grain size trapped. Many of these bacterial mats are found in extreme
environments because of evolution of oxygen and competition. Paerl, Pinkney and Steppe (2000) commented that these bacterial
mats were marked by geochemical areas, such as volcanism and tectonics. They favour harsh environments that are either nutrient-
depleted or have high salinity levels.[3] In another article, the authors mentioned the autotrophic lifestyle of the bacteria enabled them
to thrive in variety of regions with harsh surroundings. Stromatolites can be found in places with ranging temperature such as in the
marine, limnic and soil[1]
Moreover, some HABs are harmful to the ecosystem through their sheer biomass accumulation. Such biomass accumulation can lead
to a multitude of negative consequences. For one, their accumulation can reduce the light penetration in the water column, thereby
reducing habitat suitability for the growth of submersed grasses. Exceedingly high biomass can also cause fish gills to clog, leading
to suffocation.40 High biomass blooms can also lead to the development of “dead zones.” 41 Dead zones are formed when the algae
begin to die and their decomposition depletes the water of oxygen. Dead zones do not support (aerobic) aquatic life, and are
.[5]
responsible for losses of millions of dollars’ worth of fish annually
Conclusion
Algal mat is one of microbial mat made out of blue-green cyanobacteria and sediments. Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophs
organisms and commonly found in rocks in fossilized form.[1] And they are responsible for The Great Oxidation Event which
accumulated the oxygen levels during the Proterozoic time and allowed complex life form to thrive (Schirrmeister, Vos, Antonelli,
and Bagheri, 2013). However, due to water pollution with nutrient, algal mat can grow rapidly and affect the ecosystem negatively,
which is known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).[5] In spite of that, with farther development in technology, it can be useful for
efficient biofuel.[6]
References
1. BETTINA E. SCHIRRMEISTER, MURIEL GUGGER and PHILIP C. J. DONOGHUE (2015), CY
ANOBACTERIA AND
THE GREAT OXIDATION EVENT: EVIDENCE FROM GENES AND FOSSILS, Palaeontology
, Vol. 58, Part 5, 2015,
pp. 769–785
2. C. M. FRANTZ , V. A. PETRYSHYN , AND F. A. CORSETTI, (2015) Grain trapping by filamentous cyanobacterial
and algalmats: implications for stromatolite microfabrics through time, Geobiology (2015), 13, 409–423.
3. Hans W. Paerl, James L. Pinckney and Timothy F. Steppe (2000), Cyanobacterial-bacterial mat consortia: examining
thefunctional unit of microbial survival and growth inextreme environments, Environmental Microbiology (2000) 2(1),
11-26
4. Bettina E. Schirrmeister, Jurriaan M. de Vos, Alexandre Antonelli, and Homayoun C. Bagh eri (2012), Evolution of
multicellularity coincided with increased diversification of cyanobacteria and the GreatOxidation Event,
DOI10.1073/pnas.1209927110
5. Patricia M. Glibert (2013), Harmful Algal Blooms in Asia: an insidious and escalating waterpollution phenomenon
with effects on ecological and humanhealth, ASIA Network Exchange.
6. Montingelli, ME; Tedesco, S; Olabi, A G. Biogas production from algal biomass: A review
, Renewable & Sustainable
Energy Reviews43 (Mar 1, 2015): 961-972.
Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.