In the movie, Finding Dory, underwater algae and plants appear in nearly every scene. From kelp to seagrasses, these algae and plants serve an important cinematic role as mysterious curtains and beautifully flowing details, but in the real world, these algae and plants serve just an even more significant function.
Early in the movie, baby Dory searches the kelp forest by the Marine Life Institute, and later she returns to find her parents in the same kelp forest. Kelp forests are some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, with dense growth of kelp, very large brown algae. Kelp is thought to have evolved from other brown algae only 23 million years ago. Underwater, the kelp serves an important ecological function as the primary habitat …show more content…
Seagrasses are monocot flowering plants that also have stems, leaves, and roots. They can form meadows underwater that are big enough and dense enough to be seen from space. They also serve an ecological function as shelter, like the kelp. Seagrass meadows can have rich biodiversity and thriving ecosystems. Some species also eat the seagrasses. Seagrasses evolved from algae to land plants, then back to water plants, giving them many of the same properties as normal plants. They are thought to have evolved about 100 million years ago. Seagrasses are unlike flowering plants on land in that they lack stomata. Instead, gasses and nutrients diffuse directly into the leaves. As angiosperms, they also form seeds that travel long distances underwater, allowing seagrasses to spread easily. Seagrasses typically grow in shallow salt water along coasts. Seagrasses have many uses to humans as fertilizer, insulation, thatch, bandages, but they are far more important to the natural environment. They clean the surrounding water and take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrasses have been called the “lungs of the sea” since they can make 10 liters of oxygen through photosynthesis every day. They also take in nutrients and capture sand, dirt, and silt. The roots trap and stabilize sediment which keeps water clear and clean and prevents erosion of coastlines. Because of all these benefits, seagrasses
Early in the movie, baby Dory searches the kelp forest by the Marine Life Institute, and later she returns to find her parents in the same kelp forest. Kelp forests are some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, with dense growth of kelp, very large brown algae. Kelp is thought to have evolved from other brown algae only 23 million years ago. Underwater, the kelp serves an important ecological function as the primary habitat …show more content…
Seagrasses are monocot flowering plants that also have stems, leaves, and roots. They can form meadows underwater that are big enough and dense enough to be seen from space. They also serve an ecological function as shelter, like the kelp. Seagrass meadows can have rich biodiversity and thriving ecosystems. Some species also eat the seagrasses. Seagrasses evolved from algae to land plants, then back to water plants, giving them many of the same properties as normal plants. They are thought to have evolved about 100 million years ago. Seagrasses are unlike flowering plants on land in that they lack stomata. Instead, gasses and nutrients diffuse directly into the leaves. As angiosperms, they also form seeds that travel long distances underwater, allowing seagrasses to spread easily. Seagrasses typically grow in shallow salt water along coasts. Seagrasses have many uses to humans as fertilizer, insulation, thatch, bandages, but they are far more important to the natural environment. They clean the surrounding water and take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrasses have been called the “lungs of the sea” since they can make 10 liters of oxygen through photosynthesis every day. They also take in nutrients and capture sand, dirt, and silt. The roots trap and stabilize sediment which keeps water clear and clean and prevents erosion of coastlines. Because of all these benefits, seagrasses