Cladophora Mat Near Little Narragansett Bay (IMAGE)
Caption
Cladophora, a wiry green seaweed, is found in great abundance in Little Narragansett Bay, fertilized by a high load of nitrogen entering the bay. Dense mats of the seaweed are oxygen factories during the day, but use up all of the oxygen during the night, leaving none for the animals. Only animals tolerant of very low oxygen, ones who can essentially hold their breath through the night, are found in areas where this seaweed is thick. In mid-summer, the seaweed is so abundant and productive, excess oxygen bubbles out of the water and can cause large mats of the seaweed to float to the surface.
Credit
Jamie Vaudrey, UConn
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