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Abiotic Factors of Algae

Algae, the plural of alga, are mostly aquatic organisms ranging from single cell to more complex forms. Seaweed represents the most complex forms of algae. Algae resemble plants but lack stems and roots. Abiotic refers to nonliving factors that influence the existence of algae. These abiotic factors can be chemical or physical forces in the algae's environment.

Sunlight
- Algae require sunlight to grow. They use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy. Different types of algae absorb different colors of the light spectrum: red, blue and green. Algae absorb red wavelengths in shallow water, blue in medium depths and green light in deep waters. The interaction between sunlight and algae takes another form. Too much algae on the surface of a pond or other body of water will block out the sunlight from reaching other organisms.
Temperature
- Algae grow better when the temperature rises. This abiotic factor is somewhat related to sunlight in that sunshine does warm up a pond or the ocean. Air temperature is important and algae respond like plants to warm weather. The ideal temperature for algae growth is between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit according to the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology.
Water
- Whether in a small farm pond or the middle of the ocean, algae need water, preferably warm water with plenty of sunshine. In the middle of the ocean, algae can grow into what is known as an algal bloom, or an explosion of algae that tends to appear rapidly. During a bloom a liter of ocean water will contain millions of algae according to the Water Encyclopedia. These blooms turn harmful to sea life when certain algae species produce toxins or produce a tint in the water, known as a "red tide." Normally algal blooms do not harm ocean life, with red tides being an exception.
Wind
- Algae in the middle of the ocean require nutrients along with the warm temperatures and sunlight to produce algal blooms. Those nutrients are not normally found in sufficient quantities to produce the blooms but the wind comes to the aid of algae. Strong winds blow across the ocean and assist ocean currents in carrying those nutrients.

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