Sea sawdust facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sea sawdust |
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| Trichodesmium bloom off the Great Barrier Reef | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Cyanobacteria |
| Class: | Cyanophyceae |
| Order: | Oscillatoriales |
| Family: | Microcoleaceae |
| Genus: | Trichodesmium Ehrenberg ex Gomont, 1892 |
| Species | |
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Trichodesmium contortum |
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Trichodesmium is a type of tiny living thing found in the ocean. It is a genus of cyanobacteria, which are often called blue-green algae. People sometimes call Trichodesmium "sea sawdust" because it can look like tiny bits of wood floating in the water.
These amazing organisms live in warm ocean waters, especially where there are not many nutrients. You can find them a lot around Australia and in the Red Sea. The famous explorer Captain Cook was one of the first people to describe them.
Trichodesmium is super important because it can "fix" nitrogen. This means it takes nitrogen gas from the air and changes it into a form that other living things, like plants, can use. Scientists think that Trichodesmium does almost half of all the nitrogen fixing in the world's oceans! This makes them a key part of the ocean's food web.
Contents
What is Trichodesmium?
Trichodesmium are very small, thread-like organisms. They are a type of cyanobacteria, which are like tiny plants that live in water. They get their energy from sunlight, just like plants do.
These tiny threads often group together. When many of them gather, they can form large patches on the ocean surface. These patches are called "blooms." Sometimes, these blooms are so big you can see them from space!
Where Does Trichodesmium Live?
Trichodesmium prefers warm ocean waters. You will find them mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. These are parts of the ocean near the equator.
They like areas where there are not many other nutrients. This is because they can make their own food. They also create their own nitrogen, which is a very important nutrient for life.
How Trichodesmium Helps the Ocean
One of the most important jobs of Trichodesmium is nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is a gas that makes up most of the air we breathe. But most living things cannot use nitrogen gas directly.
Trichodesmium can change this nitrogen gas into a form called ammonium. Ammonium is like a fertilizer for the ocean. Other tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, can then use this ammonium to grow.
Because Trichodesmium fixes so much nitrogen, it helps feed many other organisms in the ocean. It supports the growth of tiny plants, which then become food for small animals. These small animals are then eaten by bigger fish. This makes Trichodesmium a very important part of the ocean's food chain.
Images for kids
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Trichodesmium erythraeum bloom, between Vanuatu and New Caledonia, SW Pacific Ocean.
See also
In Spanish: Trichodesmium para niños
