Algae can live and breed in such special conditions that seem to us, at first glance, completely unacceptable to life. These can be hot springs, the temperature of which sometimes reaches a boiling point, as well as cold Arctic waters, ice and snow.
Algae living in unusual conditions
Algae can live at a fairly wide temperature range: from three degrees to eighty-five. But most organisms live in a narrower range.
Hardy in extreme conditions, blue algae and green. They are called cynobacteria. Most of them are thermophilic algae. This means that they can live at fairly high temperatures (eighty-eighty-five).
Thermal springs are inhabited by filamentous multicellular algae, as well as unicellular. Filaments often grow in large colonies, lining the walls of ponds, or float on their surface.
In large quantities, in hot ponds you can find green and diatoms. But they are less adapted to high temperatures, and therefore prefer to live along the edges of ponds in cooler places. For them, the maximum temperature for life is fifty degrees.
In general, more than two thousand species of algae have been found in hot waters. Of course, blue-green species prevail, then diatoms and then green ones.
In the hot geysers of Kamchatka, the temperature reaches 75.5 degrees. Fifty-two species of algae were found in them. So, twenty-eight of them are blue-green, and only seventeen are diatoms, and seven are green species.
Algae among the snow and ice
There are also algae living in unusual conditions, the habitat of which is snow and ice. Of course, the temperature limits for algae are wide enough, which allows them to inhabit even in very cold conditions. In such unfavorable places, even intensive propagation of algae occurs, which sometimes leads to staining of ice in a variety of colors: raspberry, red, green, brown, violet. The color prevails, which algae are more in this place. The thickness of the painted layer is a couple of centimeters, it is at this depth that light penetrates.
Chlamydomonas is capable of staining red color of snow, and filamentous algae in green, and diatoms in brown.
I must say that snow algae most of the time are in a calm state. But in the spring, when frosts are slightly weakening, there is an intensive reproduction of algae. They live, as a rule, on the remains of old snow in crevices or high in the mountains. Algae begin to develop in meltwater, which forms under the first rays of the sun. At night, when the temperature drops, they freeze with the liquid.
Snow algae can be found in many places around the globe, mainly in the highlands.
"Flowering" of glaciers
In 1903, the "flowering" of ice was observed on Franz Josef Land, which was made possible thanks to the development of huge chlamydomonas colonies. In Russia, ice algae was found in the Northern Urals, the Caucasus, the Tien Shan, Kamchatka, Siberia, the Northern Urals, Novaya Zemlya and many other places.
It is proved that the flowering of snow and ice is a widespread phenomenon. Now there are more than a hundred snow algae. These are green, blue-green algae and diatoms, as well as yellow-green, golden. In the Caucasus, a species such as crimson was found.
Studies show that the higher you go up into the mountains, the less the species composition of algae becomes there. This is due to the fact that in the most difficult conditions only some species survive, the most stable, so to speak.
Oddly enough, but rather intensive development of algae occurs in the ice of the Antarctic and the Arctic. In these regions, the most developed diatom species. When they multiply in huge quantities, they stain water and ice in brown-yellow or brown color.
Algae living in unusual conditions, ensure the flowering of ice not on its surface, due to mass reproduction, but in various kinds of indentations or ledges that are immersed in water. Initially, they develop on the bottom of the ice cover, and then freeze with the advent of cold. When spring arrives, the ice thaws, and with it, algae come to the surface.
All algae that live in unusual cold conditions are called cryobionts. In conditions of low temperature live not only microscopic, but also multicellular algae, for example, kelp.
Algae in Salt Ponds
For obvious reasons, the saltier the water, the less living organisms live in it. This also applies to algae. Only some of them tolerate high salinity. But even in highly concentrated waters, single-celled green species live. Sometimes such algae in nature cause green or red "bloom". The bottom of saline reservoirs is sometimes completely covered by them.
The characteristics of algae are such that in very salty water they sometimes lead to unexpected biochemical processes. For example, the formation of therapeutic mud.
Waterless Algae
Aerophilic algae living in unusual conditions come in direct contact with air. A typical habitat of such species is the surface of rocks, stones, tree bark.
According to the degree of moisture, they are divided into two subgroups: air and water-air. Algae life is very peculiar and is characterized by a sharp and frequent change in temperature and humidity. During the day, these algae warm up quite strongly, and at night the temperature drops significantly.
Such abrupt changes affect only aerophilic algae. However, they are well adapted to such an existence. Their largest colonies are observed on the surfaces of wet rocks.
Algae Development Factors
The main factors that influence the development of algae are the presence of moisture, light, temperature, carbon, organic and mineral fertilizers. Algae are very widespread throughout the world, they can be found in water, on the bark of trees, in soil and on its surface, on the walls of stone buildings, and even in the most inappropriate places for living.
Oddly enough, but some varieties are so adapted to life in extreme conditions that they feel comfortable in the wave, and even multiply very actively.
It is a mistake to assume that in conditions of high and very low temperatures there is nothing alive. This is completely wrong. It turns out that under such conditions unicellular and multicellular algae live quite normally. They are not always visible to the naked eye, but they live in hot geysers and in ice.
Interesting scientific facts
Recent research in Kamchatka led biologists to rather unexpected results. The researchers had a goal: to examine the hot springs for the content of mercury in them. It was initially assumed that water from these sources is unsuitable for drinking.
In the course of research, it turned out that only one geyser is dangerous. However, other rather interesting facts emerged. Biologists confidently claim the discovery of dark green filamentous algae in hot water. It would seem, well, what’s surprising here. The fact of their residence at high temperatures has long been known. But the water temperature of the investigated geysers reached 98 degrees. Although previously assumed the boundary temperature of their habitat in the region of eighty-seven degrees.
