Discovery ‘mermaid’ Species of Algae

In News

• A team of marine biologists has discovered a new marine algae species in the Andaman archipelago. 
  • Algae are chlorophyll-bearing and photosynthetic non-vascular organisms, which unlike plants do not differentiate into roots, stems or leaves.

Key Points

• The new algae species has been named ‘Acetabularia jalakanyakae’, after the Sanskrit word ‘Jalakanyaka’ meaning the ‘goddess of oceans’ or ‘mermaid’. 
• The species is also the first of the genus Acetabularia to be discovered in India.
• Features: The uniqueness of this species is that the whole plant is made up of just one gigantic cell with only one nucleus.
  • A nucleus is where the cellular processes of the plant are controlled.
  • A structure called a rhizoid is formed towards the end of the plant cell containing its nucleus. This allows the algae to attach to the rocks underneath the shallow tropical ocean, where it grows.
  • Another feature of Acetabularia is their regenerative potential.

Significance of Algae

• Oxygen Producer: Algae are the source of more than half of the world’s oxygen through photosynthesis. They turn carbon dioxide into biomass and release oxygen. They play a vital role in the environment.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands are home to some of the last remaining healthy coral reefs in the world and in addition to that, algal diversity is one of the highest in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Food producers: Single-celled marine species are key to all the life forms on Earth. Algae convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into food for the marine ecosystem. They are at the base of the food chain. 
• Petroleum fossils: Algae are also responsible for petroleum. When they die, they sink to the ocean floor. Over the years, this layer turns into what we know as petroleum.
• Research & studies: Algae is important for studies and research too. The newly discovered species has a giant cell which is important from the study’s point of view. 

Concerns

• Climate change is increasingly becoming a concern, putting in danger the ecology. The rise in temperature decreases oxygen levels in the water, affecting organisms that depend on oxygen to live, including the algae. 
• Further, ocean acidification is also a threat to organisms in the ocean. Algae, which has industrial, medical, and survival importance, is of key importance, thus, making its discovery further significant.

Source: TH