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  • Would you take your next vacation

  • on this slimy beach?

  • Well, what if most of our beaches

  • were starting to look like this,

  • because our oceans were quickly being

  • taken over by this green sludge?

  • This isn't nuclear waste

  • people are swimming in,

  • it's algae!

  • And if it took over all our oceans,

  • it would change a lot more

  • about our lives than just how we vacation.

  • The idea of algae taking over

  • the entirety of our oceans may seem

  • a little far-fetched, but it's already taking over

  • smaller bodies of water around the world.

  • When algae grows densely and out of control,

  • it's called an algal bloom.

  • And in 2019 there was an algal bloom so large it could be seen from space!

  • Not only did it look really gross,

  • but it was also incredibly dangerous,

  • since it produced toxic effects for both animals and humans.

  • But despite all the danger involved, if algae took over our oceans,

  • it could also do wonders for our planet,

  • as it would quickly become our biggest weapon against climate change.

  • And that leaves us with a dilemma.

  • Should we fight the algae's take over?

  • Or embrace it?

  • Before we can answer that question,

  • we're going to have to become a little more acquainted with the green stuff.

  • Say hello to algae.

  • You may only know it as the weird green stuff that grows on rocks,

  • but there's a lot more to it.

  • Algae is an informal term for a large, diverse group of aquatic organisms

  • that have the ability to conduct photosynthesis.

  • They can occur in a variety of forms and sizes,

  • from single microscopic cells to seaweeds.

  • And if they took over our oceans,

  • they could provide a much-needed helping hand in our fight against climate change.

  • No matter what trees or plants try to tell you,

  • algae is the real master of photosynthesis.

  • It provides more than half the oxygen in our atmosphere via phytoplankton and seaweed,

  • and it consumes more carbon dioxide than trees.

  • While trees take generations to mature enough to really make a dent in carbon concentration,

  • algae grows quickly,

  • and spreads widely,

  • giving it the potential to be even better at absorbing

  • and consuming carbon than our woody friends.

  • And algae isn't just good for cleaning the air.

  • Some kinds of algae can also provide food for marine life,

  • food for humans,

  • and be used as nutritional supplements.

  • But perhaps the most intriguing possibility of a world with algae-filled oceans

  • is how algae could be used to replace some of the most harmful products on our planet,

  • like oil-based plastics.

  • Some of the biggest oil companies are now researching whether

  • algae can be used as a sustainable fuel source,

  • as some researchers think it might be possible to produce 19,000 liters (5,000 gallons)

  • of biofuel from a single acre of algae in one year.

  • So if we had entire oceans of this stuff,

  • we could do a lot of good for the planet

  • by reducing our use of fossil fuels,

  • and by removing some contaminants from the air.

  • But keep in mind that our oceans are gigantic, and

  • filling them with green sludge is bound to have some negative effects

  • on the species that rely on them.

  • Large masses of algae can block out the sunlight for smaller organisms

  • living near or under it, causing aquatic plants to die.

  • And once the aquatic plants are gone, the fish,

  • shellfish and other marine animals that eat them would follow closely behind.

  • Harmful algal blooms, such as brown or red tides and blue-green algae,

  • can contaminate public water supplies,

  • or can accumulate in the bodies of smaller aquatic animals

  • that are consumed by larger ones,

  • resulting in illness or death in whales,

  • sea lions, otters and manatees, among others.

  • People who eat shellfish containing dangerous algae

  • can suffer diarrhea, seizures and even death.

  • So if we want to harness all the positive impacts of algae,

  • there might be a better option than allowing it to take over our oceans.

  • Maybe we could farm algae in land-based facilities instead.

  • We obviously wouldn't be able to produce an oceans' worth of algae,

  • but we could still provide material for other uses without

  • depriving fish and other vegetation of sunlight.

  • With the help of algae,

  • maybe we could even double the amount of oxygen in our amosphere.

  • But you know that's a story for another WHAT IF.

Would you take your next vacation

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