#31 seaweed diversity

Question 1

do seaweeds have roots

Answer 1

no seaweeds do not have roots they are not held in the soil

Question 2

what are seaweed in the food chain

Answer 2

seaweed are primary produces, they are photosynthetic

Question 3

how is seaweed critical to the marine habitat?

Answer 3

they are an ecosystem engineer
they provide habitat for many - they structure the habitat
they provide food to many fish and invertebrates

Question 4

what are some features of seaweed

Answer 4

it is macro-algae
photosynthetic
no flowers, no roots, no leafy shoots
dont have transport tissues for nutrients or storage

Question 5

what are the 3 types of seaweed and an example of each

Answer 5

green - chlorophyta - sea lettuce
brown - phaeophyceae - kelp
red - rhodophyta - nori

Question 6

what pigment is in green seaweed

Answer 6

chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and -carotene

Question 7

what pigment is in red seaweed

Answer 7

chlorophyll a, b carotenes, phycobilins and others

Question 8

what pigment is in brown seaweed

Answer 8

chlorophyll c, -carotene, fucoxanthin, and others

Question 9

are seaweed endemic?

Answer 9

yes many types of seaweed are endemic

Question 10

what percentage of green seaweed are marine?

Answer 10

only 10% are marine

Question 11

why are australias marine seaweeds diverse?

Answer 11

continental drift and the seperation of australia from antartica
the ocean currents we have surrounding us - warm water and cool water - creates diversity
leeuwin current creates diversity
sea temperature fluctuates and changes which creates diversity

Question 12

what are microalgae and why are they special

Answer 12

micro-algae are phytoplankton: diatoms and dinoflagellates

• they are the BASIS of marine food webs
• they are high in nutrient levels
• attached micro-algae are important colonisers to the seabed or a structure
• xooxanthelleae are also needed for corals to live