Lyngbya Alage Mats

Lyngbya is one group of cyanobacteria of special concern.

Lyngbya alage mats.

This is bad news for a number of reasons beyond the problems caused by less noxious algae. Clumps are difficult to pull apart. As a result of recent genetic analyses several new genera was erected from this genus. It ranges in color and usually appears green brown gray or black.

Its thick glycoprotein sheath adds an extra physical barrier that fortifies the cell wall. Lyngbya is a blue green algae or cyanobacteria that grows in thick mats. Healthy mats are usually blue black but turn yellow green under intense light. Sheaths may form tangles or mats intermixed with other.

They are more common during drought conditions and a significant rain event will likely dissipate the mats. Much as pennies are stacked within a roll of coins. Long and hair like this filamentous alga can form large benthic and surface mats blooms. Black mat algae grows at the bottom of slow moving freshwaters.

Lyngbya is a genus of cyanobacteria unicellular autotrophs that form the basis of the oceanic food chain. If you re unlucky enough to have the giant variety known as lyngbya wollei these mats can quickly grow to several acres in size if left untreated. Mats often float to the surfa. On top of this layer is an established microbial community or microbiota that works mutualistically with the lyngbya the microbiota defends its host by helping to gather resources for growth or shielding it.

Lingbya can grow to be several inches thick covering large areas of the waters surface or bottom sediment. The algal mats were identified as lyngbya and spirulina. Lyngbya species form long unbranching filaments inside a rigid mucilaginous sheath. A survival specialist lyngbya uses several mechanisms to ensure it stays happy and healthy.

Lyngbya normally grows in dense mats at the bottoms of nutrient enriched lakes and spring fed systems. These mats are usually tan greenish and sometimes black in color and can be mistakenly identified as dead floating algae. Lyngbya is a problematic aquatic growth that is common to many ponds in north texas. These mats produce gasses during photosynthesis that often cause the mats to rise to the surface.

An individual lyngbya filament is usually unbranched it is composed of large discoid cells that are stacked within a firm polysaccharide sheath. E g moorea limnoraphis okeania microseira and dapis. It is not an aquatic plant nor a true algae but actually a type of cyanobacteria and can be a pond owner s worst nightmare. This type of algae forms dense mats and has a strong musty smell.