Question

Among the red, brown and green algae which one is likely to be found in deep ocean and why? What is the extent of their presence in terms of depth?

Answer 1

1. Red algae are likely to be found in the deepest water.
2. They have red pigment (phycoerythrin) which carries out photosynthesis using only short wavelength light found in greater depths.
3. Sunlight is broken into its component colours as it penetrates through ocean water (which operates like a prism): longer wavelengths are weaker hence could not penetrate deeper into the water column while shorter wavelengths do.
4. The world's record for the deepest seaweed is a red alga found off the clear waters of the Bahamas at 880 feet deep