Algal blooms

Algae are the population of microscopic single and multiple-celled aquatic plants that live in water. While most individual algal cells can only be viewed using an instrument such as a microscope, algal blooms give color to the pond water. When populations of algal cells multiply, thereby clouding or giving color to a pond, it is called an algal bloom. Another term used to describe algae is phytoplankton. The word phytoplankton is derived from the Greek language (phyto = plant; plankton = wanderer). It is a term used to describe plants that are so small that their movement is primarily controlled by the motion of the water. Algal blooms are encouraged for a number of reasons, including increasing the pond's primary productivity. As microscopic "grass", the bloom is food for microscopic animals (zooplankton) and forms the base of the food chain that supports larger forms of life such as fish. By increasing the base of the food chain, the total productivity of the pond is increased. Algae produce oxygen through photosynthetic action and are the primary source of oxygen in a body of water.