What is the composition of pigments in algae living at different depths of seas and oceans?
November 16, 2020 | Education
| What is the composition of pigments in algae living at different depths of seas and oceans? What is the reason for the difference in composition?
Algae that live in shallow freshwater bodies and in shallow sea waters contain green, orange and yellow pigments. At a depth of 40-100 m, algae contain green, brown and yellow pigments. At a depth of 200 m, algae contain green, red and blue pigments.
The difference in pigment composition is due to the intensity of light at different depths. For example, red and blue pigments capture even the smallest light at great depths. And green, orange and yellow pigments only capture light that is intense enough that it does not penetrate great depths.
