Photosynthetic algaes in the ocean

[AltitudeAquarium]

@AquaBiomics
I got this article on my news feed. I would like to get your interpretation as it relates to our reef keeping.

Phys.org: Study: 'Photosynthetic' algae can survive the dark.

Study: 'Photosynthetic' algae can survive the dark

More than 66 million years ago, an asteroid impact led to the extinction of almost three-quarters of life on Earth. The little life that was left had to struggle, and research into its tenacity can provide key insights into how organisms survive environmental challenges. In a new study...

phys.org

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

Interesting read! Following to see more discussion! I did run across a couple questions, however.

I’m not a biologist by no means(in fact I avoided all science that I could in college) but I noticed that carbon was one of the elements the algae was able to feed on. I’ve heard that dosing carbon can sometimes facilitate algae growth. Is this why that is the case, and furthermore, could this be why different tanks react to carbon differently, different types of algae?

My next question comes from the mention of alkalinity. It was shown that the algae buffered the acidity of the ocean, Increasing alkalinity. We know algae can hide nitrates and phosphates when over growing in a tank. Could this algae also keep alkalinity from falling despite having multiple corals? For example, in my tank, though it is lightly stocked currently(8-10 small frags in a 55), I have gone 2 weeks without a water change or dosing before even seeing my alkalinity fall by 1. At the same time, I have been fighting a major hair algae outbreak since I started testing nutrients.

Again these might not even be applicable to the article but definitely Interested in seeing some takes here!

 

[CalebWBrink2000]

This is why algae scrubbers have merit, no? Basically just transferring all your hair algae from the display to a condensed lit sheet that you can harvest.