Pond Scum Information

Pond Scum Information



Pond scum, it goes by a lot of different names, but most of the time, it is really a type of algae known as filamentous algae.

Algae, are very primitive plants, there are several types, including the planktonic algae that is often suspended in the water profile of a pond or lake, and gives it that green tint that we are all familiar with. It is a single cell, that feeds aquatic invertebrates, which, in turn, feed larger creatures and so on up the food chain.

There are more advanced forms of algae as well, such as “Nittela”, and “Chara”, which resemble vascular rooted plants.

Filamentous algae, or pond scum starts growing at the bottom of a body of water, and gradually moves to the top by virtue of the buoyancy it provides through the creation of oxygen by the process of photosynthesis.

Pond scum, algae

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