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Macroalgae

Definition

Filamentous or thalloid algae visible to the naked eye, such as Spirogyra, Cladophora, Enteromorpha, and Chaetophora. They colonise sheltered margins, shallow water, and submerged surfaces. Their presence as fragments on clothing or vehicles indicates contact with vegetated shallow water.

Related terms

Aquatic macrophyte
Vascular aquatic plants, including submerged, floating, and emergent species such as Elodea, Potamogeton, Phragmites, and Nymphaea. Fragments of these plants on a...
Cyanobacteria
Photosynthetic prokaryotic bacteria, often called blue-green algae. Form surface scums in warm, nutrient-rich water. Contain characteristic cellular structures (heterocysts, akinetes) identifiable microscopically....
Limnological profiling
Building a characterisation of a water body using physical, chemical, and biological measurements. Forensically, the profile is the reference against which biological...
Limnology
The scientific study of the biology, chemistry, and physics of inland waters (lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands). Its reference databases of species assemblages...
Phytoplankton
Microscopic photosynthetic organisms that live suspended in the water column. Includes diatoms plus green algae, cyanobacteria, chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, and euglenoids. The full...

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