First Approach to Algae and Aquatic Plants

In this project all days are different, so this one was not an exception! The volunteers of project M.A.R.E. and a group of “study abroad” from the USA, hosted by Sant’Anna Institute of Sorrento, had their first field experience with aquatic organisms.

The day started with a theoretical introduction to Posidonia oceanica. This species is an aquatic plant which importance comes from its role in preventing erosion on the sea bottom and on beaches. Moreover, many small organisms find sanctuary by living on them. It is imperative to study and conserve Posidonia oceanica because it is only present in the Mediterranean Sea.

Since everybody were already looking forward to snorkelling, after the info-session, the curiosity for observing this plant in its natural environment had increased even more. So, it was time to get in!

In the water, it was possible to observe different organisms:  sea orchids, ophiuroids, sea cucumber, some species of fish, some species of algae and, of course, Posidonia. Some samples of Posidonia and algae were collected.

After a quick break, we started to practice what we had learnt. We analysed Posidonia leaves and tried to identify the organisms present on them. We also tried to identify the algae collected. We realized that identification is not an easy task and subject.

The day finished with another theoretical session, this time about algae. They form a diverse group of organisms which contains unicellular organisms and also multicellular organisms up to 50 metres in Length. Furthermore, algae are the main source of oxygen production on Earth.

At the end of the day, the general feeling was that we had improved our knowledge and were also keen to further develop our skills in other marine biology fields.