ODDITIES AND CURIOSITIES IN THE ALGAL WORLD

LAURA BARSANTI 1, PRIMO COLTELLI2, VALTERE

EVANGELISTA 1, ANNA MARIA FRASSANITO 1,
VINCENZO PASSARELLI 1, NICOLETTA VESENTINI 3
AND PAOLO GUALTIERI1*
1
Istituto di Biofisica C.N.R., 2Istituto Scienza e Tecnologia
dell’ Informazione C.N.R., 3Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica
C.N.R. Area della Ricerca di Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124,
Pisa, Italy

Abstract: The term algae refers to a polyphyletic, non-cohesive and artificial

assemblage, of O2–evolving, photosynthetic organisms. The profound diver-
sity of size, shape, habitat, metabolic traits and growth strategies makes this
heterogeneous assemblage of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic species an
almost unlimited source of curious and unusual features. Algae display an
incredible adaptability to most environments, and provide an excellent sys-
tem for testing hypotheses concerning the evolution of ecological tolerance.
In fact, they are not limited to temperate waters, but can survive at very low
depth and very low irradiance, and thrive beneath polar ice sheets. Upon
adaptation to life on land, algae have colonized such surprising places, as
catacombs, tree trunks, hot springs, and can also resist desiccation in the
desert regions of the world. Moreover, relations between them and other
organisms, which include competition within and between species for space,
light, nutrient or any limiting source, are based on a variety of associations,
which includes epiphytism, parasitism, and symbiosis. Algae can share their
life with animals, growing on sloth hair, inside the jelly capsule of amphi-
bian eggs, upon the carapaces of turtles or shells of mollusks, camouflaging
the dorsal scute of harvestmen. They can also light up the sea at night, and
cause infections in animals and humans.

______
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Paolo Gualtieri, Istituto di Biofisica C.N.R., Area
della Ricerca di Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy. Email: paolo.gualtieri@pi.ibf.cnr.it

V. Evangelista et al. (eds.), Algal Toxins: Nature, Occurrence, Effect and Detection. 353
© Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008
354 L. BARSANTI ET AL.

Keywords: Algae, extreme environments, mutualisms, blooms, bioluminescence,

protothecosis

1. Introduction

The term algae has no formal taxonomic standing, nevertheless it is routinely

used to indicate a polyphyletic, non-cohesive and artificial assemblage, of
O2–evolving, photosynthetic organisms (with several exceptions of color-
less members, which are undoubtedly related to pigmented forms). No
easily definable classification system acceptable to all exists for algae, since
taxonomy is under constant and rapid revision at all levels following every
day new genetic and ultrastructural evidence. Keeping in mind that the
polyphyletic nature of the algal group is somewhat inconsistent with tradi-
tional taxonomic groupings, though they are still useful to define the general
character and level of organization, and aware of the fact that taxonomic
opinion may change as information accumulates, the tentative scheme re-
ported in Table 1 of chapter one of this book is adopted (Barsanti and
Gualtieri, 2006).
This review is meant to discuss these diverse organisms from a different
perspective by focusing on some of their more unusual characteristics or
oddities. The oddities we will deal with are quite diverse, since we came across
them studying the algal world in its different aspects. The world of any
organism results from the interaction of both abiotic (physiochemical) and
biotic factors. Among the major physiochemical factors affecting algae are
light, temperature, salinity, nutrient availability. Among biotic factors are
relations between algae and other organisms, which include competition
within and between species for space, light, nutrient or any limiting source,
and a variety of associations, which includes epiphytism, parasitism, and
symbiosis. The interactions between these different variables can both hide
and reveal odd traits of algae.

2. Occurrence and Distribution

Algae can be aquatic or subaerial, when they are exposed to the atmosphere
rather than being submerged in water. Aquatic algae are found almost any-
where from freshwater springs to salt lakes, with tolerance for a broad range
of pH, temperature, turbidity, O2 and CO2 concentration. They can be
planktonic, as are most unicellular species, living suspended throughout the
lighted regions of all water bodies including under ice in polar areas. They
can be also benthonic, attached to the bottom or living within sediments,
limited to shallow areas because of the rapid attenuation of light with depth.