Phycology () is the scientific study of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

. Also known as algology, phycology is a branch of

life science Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy t ...

. Algae are important as

primary producers An autotroph or primary producer is an organism that produces complex organic compounds (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) using carbon from simple substances such as carbon dioxide,Morris, J. et al. (2019). "Biology: How Life Works", ...

in aquatic

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s. Most algae are

eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...

organisms that live in a wet environment. They are distinguished from the higher plants by a lack of true

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...

s, stems or

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

. They do not produce flowers. Many species are single-celled and microscopic (including

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. Ph ...

and other

microalgae Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment. They are unicellular species which exist indiv ...

); many others are

multicellular A multicellular organism is an organism that consists of more than one cell, in contrast to unicellular organism. All species of animals, land plants and most fungi are multicellular, as are many algae, whereas a few organisms are partially uni- ...

to one degree or another, some of these growing to large size (for example,

seaweeds Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

such as

kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwat ...

and ''

Sargassum ''Sargassum'' is a genus of brown (class Phaeophyceae) macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral re ...

''). Phycology includes the study of

prokaryotic A prokaryote () is a Unicellular organism, single-celled organism that lacks a cell nucleus, nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The word ''prokaryote'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:πρό#Ancient Greek, πρό (, 'before') a ...

forms known as blue-green algae or

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

. A number of microscopic algae also occur as symbionts in

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.''Fucus maximus'' (now ''Ecklonia maxima'') in 1757 by

Pehr Osbeck Pehr Osbeck (1723 – 23 December 1805) was a Swedish explorer, naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He was born in the parish of Hålanda on Västergötland and studied at Uppsala with Carolus Linnaeus. Naturalist in Canton In 1750� ...

. This was followed by the descriptive work of scholars such as

Dawson Turner Dawson Turner (18 October 1775 – 21 June 1858) was an English banker, botanist and antiquary. He specialized in the botany of cryptogams and was the father-in-law of the botanist William Jackson Hooker. Life Turner was the son of Jam ...

and

Carl Adolph Agardh Carl Adolph Agardh (23 January 1785 in Båstad, Sweden – 28 January 1859 in Karlstad) was a Swedish botanist specializing in algae, who was eventually appointed bishop of Karlstad. Biography In 1807 he was appointed teacher of mathematics a ...

, but it was not until later in the 19th century that efforts were made by J.V. Lamouroux and

William Henry Harvey William Henry Harvey, FRS FLS (5 February 1811 – 15 May 1866) was an Irish botanist and phycologist who specialised in algae. Biography Harvey was born at Summerville near Limerick, Ireland, in 1811, the youngest of 11 children. His father ...

to create significant groupings within the algae. Harvey has been called "the father of modern phycology" in part for his division of the algae into four major divisions based upon their pigmentation. It was in the late 19th and early 20th century, that phycology became a recognized field of its own. Men such as

Friedrich Traugott Kützing Friedrich Traugott Kützing (8 December 1807 in Kalbsrieth, Ritteburg – 9 September 1893) was a German pharmacist, botanist and phycologist. Despite his limited background in regard to higher education, Kützing made significant scientific con ...

continued the descriptive work. In Japan, beginning in 1889,

Kintarô Okamura was a Japanese botanist and educationalist (1867 - 1935). He is the author of important studies about seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types ...

not only provided detailed descriptions of Japanese coastal algae, he also provided comprehensive analysis of their distribution. Although R. K. Greville published his ''Algae Britannicae'' as early as 1830, it was not until 1902 with the publication of ''A Catalogue of the British Marine Algae'' by Edward Arthur Lionel Batters that the systematic correlation of records, extensive distribution mapping and the development of

identification key In biology, an identification key, taxonomic key, or biological key is a printed or computer-aided device that aids the identification of biological entities, such as plants, animals, fossils, microorganisms, and pollen grains. Identification k ...

s began in earnest. In 1899-1900,

Anna Weber-Van Bosse Anna Antoinette Weber-van Bosse (27 March 1852 – 29 October 1942) was a Dutch phycologist, specializing in marine algae. Life Her interest in botany and zoology started at a young age, inspired by regular trips to the Amsterdam zoo. She att ...

, a Dutch Phycologist travelled on the Siboga expedition and later in 1904, published
The Corallinaceae of the Siboga-expedition
'. As early as 1803

Jean Pierre Étienne Vaucher Jean Pierre Étienne Vaucher (17 April 1763 – 5 or 6 January 1841) was a Swiss Protestant pastor and botanist who was a native of the Republic of Geneva. He studied theology at Geneva, and from 1795 to 1821 was a pastor at the Church of Sa ...

had published on the isogamy (sexual conjugation) in the algae, but it was in the early 20th century that reproduction and development began to be extensively studied. The 1935 and 1945 comprehensive volumes of

Felix Eugen Fritsch Felix Eugen Fritsch FRS (26 April 1879 – 2 May 1954) was a British biologist. Fritssch was born in Hampstead in London in 1879 where his father owned and operated a school. Fritsch started his career at the University of Munich before mov ...

consolidated what was then known about the morphology and reproduction of the algae. This was followed in the 1950s by the development of area checklists, led by

Mary Parke Mary Winifred Parke, FRS, (23 March 1908 – 17 July 1989) was a British marine botanist and Fellow of the Royal Society (1972) specialising in phycology, the study of algae. Scientific work Mary Parke contributed a great deal to the study of ...

with her 1931 ''Manx Algae'' and followed in 1953 by her "A preliminary check-list of British marine algae" Although

Lily Newton Lily Newton (26 January 1893 – 26 March 1981) was professor of botany and vice-principal at the University of Wales. Early life and education Newton was born at Pensford in Somerset in 1893, the daughter of George and Melinda Batten. She a ...

's 1931 ''Handbook'' provided the first identification key for the algae of the British Isles, it was the 1960s before the development of such keys became routine. The 1980s with the new emphasis on ecology saw increased study of algal communities, and the place of algae in larger plant communities, and provided an additional tool for explaining geographical variation.Figueiras, F. G.; Picher, G. C. and Estrada, M. (2008) "Chapter 10: Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics in Relation to Physical Processes
page 130
''In'' Granéli, E. and Turner, J. T. (2008) ''Ecology of Harmful Algae'' Springer, Berlin, pp. 127–138, The continent with the richest diversity of seaweeds is

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, which has 2,000 species.

Notable phycologists

Isabella Abbott Isabella Aiona Abbott (June 20, 1919 – October 28, 2010) was an educator, phycologist, and ethnobotanist from Hawaii. The first native Hawaiian woman to receive a PhD in science, she became a leading expert on Pacific marine algae. Early life ...

(1919–2010) *

(1785–1859) *

Jacob Georg Agardh Jacob Georg Agardh (8 December 1813 in Lund, Sweden – 17 January 1901 in Lund, Sweden) was a Sweden, Swedish botanist, phycologist, and taxonomist. He was the son of Carl Adolph Agardh, and from 1854 until 1879 was professor of botany at Lund ...

(1813–1901) *

M. S. Balakrishnan Madura S. Balakrishnan (1917–1990) was born and raised in Madras, Madras Presidency, British India. He was a well-known botanist and he served various government positions and worked for some time at the University of Pune (Currently known a ...

(1917–1990) * Elsie M. Burrows (1913–1986) * Margaret Constance Helen Blackler (1902–1981) *

Elsie Conway Elsie Conway (née Phillips, 15 March 1902 – 22 July 1992) was a British phycologist. She served as president of the British Phycological Society from 1965 to 1967, and was one of the earliest women Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. ...

(1902–1992), President of the

British Phycological Society The British Phycological Society, founded in 1952, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom promoting the study of algae. Members interests include all aspects of the study of algae, including both natural biodiversity and applied uses. ...

1965–1967. *

E. Yale Dawson Elmer Yale Dawson (March 31, 1918 – June 22, 1966) was an American botanist, phycologist, taxonomist, ecologist, and naturalist writer. He popularized science and natural history with his books and articles on topics ranging from California ...

(1918–1966) *

Giovanni Battista de Toni Giovanni Battista de Toni (2 January 1864, Venice – 31 July 1924, Modena) was an Italian botanist, mycologist and phycologist. In 1885 he graduated from the University of Padua, where he studied natural sciences and chemistry with Pier Andre ...

(1864–1924) *

Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (6 November 1901 – 14 September 1957) was a British phycologist, known for her research on the edible seaweed '' Porphyra laciniata'' (nori), which led to a breakthrough for commercial cultivation. Kathleen Drew-Ba ...

(1901–1957) *

Nathaniel Lyon Gardner Nathaniel Lyon Gardner (February 26, 1864 – August 15, 1937), was an American phycologist and mycologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was the curator of the University Herbarium. He is known for his work on s ...

(1864-1937) *

Robert Kaye Greville Dr. Robert Kaye Greville FRSE FLS LLD (13 December 1794 – 4 June 1866) was an England, English mycologist, bryology, bryologist, and botanist. He was an accomplished artist and illustrator of natural history. In addition to art and scien ...

(1794–1866) *

Michael D. Guiry Michael Dominic Richard Guiry (born 1949), is an Irish botanist, who specialises in phycology (algae). See for example the articles. He is the founder and director of the algal database, AlgaeBase. He is a graduate of both University College Co ...

(1949- ) *

Lena Tracy Hanks Lena Tracy Hanks (1879–1944), sometimes credited as Lenda Tracy Hanks, was an Americans, American Phycology, algologist and botanist who specialized in studying North American algae and flora. She is credited with the discovery of ''Geranium la ...

(1879–1944) *

M. O. P. Iyengar Mandayam Osuri Parthasarathy Iyengar (15 December 1886 – 10 December 1963) was a prominent Indian botanist and phycologist who researched the structure, cytology, reproduction and taxonomy of algae. He is known as the "father of Indian phycol ...

(1886-1986) *

Eifion Jones __NOTOC__ William Eifion Jones (1925 – March 2004) was a Welsh marine botanist, noted for his study of marine algae. He was born and brought up in Aberystwyth and studied botany at the University of Wales under Professor Lilly Newton. He m ...

(1925–2004) * Vasudeva Krishnamurthy (1921–2014) *

(1807–1893) * Marie Lemoine (1887–1984) * Diane S. Littler (1945- ) *

Hans Christian Lyngbye Hans Christian Lyngbye (29 June 1782 – 18 May 1837) was a Danish priest and botanist, specialising in algae. Life Hans Christian Lyngbye was born in Aalborg, Denmark, in 1782, the son of a teacher, Jens Michelsen Lyngbye. He attended the Latin sc ...

(1782–1837) *

Carola Ivena Meikle Carola Ivena Meikle (''née'' Dickinson) was a British algologist. She was born in 1900 in Alston, Cumberland, and died in 1970 in Wootton Courtenay, Somerset. Meikle was the author of ''British Seaweeds Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers ...

(1900-1970) *

Irene Manton Irene Manton, FRS FLS (born Irène Manton; 17 April 1904, in Kensington – 13 May 1988) was a British botanist who was Professor of Botany at the University of Leeds. She was noted for study of ferns and algae. Biography Irene Manton was th ...

(1904–1988) * Valerie May (1916-2007) *

Carl Nägeli Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli (26 or 27 March 1817 – 10 May 1891) was a Swiss people, Swiss botany, botanist. He studied cell division and pollination but became known as the man who discouraged Gregor Mendel from further work on genetics. He reje ...

(1817–1891) *

(1893–1981) *

Friedrich Oltmanns Friedrich Oltmanns (11 July 1860, in Oberndorf – 13 December 1945) was a German phycologist. In 1884 he received his doctorate at the University of Strasbourg, afterwards working as an assistant at the University of Rostock (from 1885). In ...

(1860–1945) * William J. Oswald (1919–2005) *

(1908–1989) *

Franz Josef Ruprecht Franz Josef Ruprecht (1 November 1814 – 4 April 1870) was an Austrian-born physician and botanist active in the Russian Empire, where he was known as Frants Ivanovič Ruprekht (russian: link=no, Франц Ива́нович Ру́прехт). ...

(1814–1870) *

William Albert Setchell William Albert Setchell (April 15, 1864 – April 5, 1943) was an American botanist and marine phycologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he headed the Botany Department. Among his publications are the ''Phycotheca ...

(1864–1943) *

Paul Silva Paul Claude Silva (October 31, 1922 – June 12, 2014) was a phycologist, marine biologist, and algal taxonomist considered to be the world's leading expert in the chlorophyte green algal genus ''Codium''. Silva was also an expert in botanical ...

(1922–2014) *

Gilbert Morgan Smith Gilbert Morgan Smith (6 January 1885, Beloit, Wisconsin – 11 July 1959) was a botanist and phycologist, who worked primarily on the algae. He was best known for his books, particularly the ''Freshwater Algae of the United States'', the ''Marine ...

(1885-1959) * John Stackhouse (1742–1819) *

William Randolph Taylor William Randolph Taylor (December 21, 1895 – November 11, 1990) was an American botanist known as an expert in phycology. Early life Taylor was born on December 21, 1895 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylv ...

(1895–1990) *

Vittore Benedetto Antonio Trevisan de Saint-Léon Vittore Benedetto Antonio Trevisan de Saint-Léon (5 June 1818, in Padua – 8 April 1897, in Milan) was an Italian botanist who specialized in cryptogam, cryptogamic flora. During his career, he was a professor of natural history in Padua. I ...

(1818–1897) *

Gavino Trono Gavino Trono Jr., Ph.D. (born 1931) is a Filipino marine biologist dubbed as the "Father of Kappaphycus farming". He was conferred the rank of National Scientist of the Philippines for contributions to the study of tropical marine phycology, focu ...

, (1931-) Filipino marine biologist noted for research on seaweeds *

Máirin de Valéra Máirin de Valéra MRIA (12 April 1912 – 8 August 1984) was an Irish phycologist. She was the first chair and professor of Botany at University College Galway. Early life and education Máirin de Valéra was born 12 April 1912 in Dublin, th ...

(1912–1984) *

Anna Weber-van Bosse Anna Antoinette Weber-van Bosse (27 March 1852 – 29 October 1942) was a Dutch phycologist, specializing in marine algae. Life Her interest in botany and zoology started at a young age, inspired by regular trips to the Amsterdam zoo. She att ...

(1852-1942) *

George Stephen West George Stephen West (20 April 1876 – 7 August 1919), ARCS, FLS, was a British botanist, a specialist in phycology and protistology, a botanical illustrator and a writer. With his father. botanist William West (West, 1848–1914), he collab ...

(1876-1919) * William West (1848–1914) *

William West Jr William West Jr, Royal College of Science, ARCS, (11 February 1875 – 14 September 1901) was an English botany, botanist. He was the elder son of the botanist William West (botanist), William West, and the brother of George Stephen West. West ...

(1875–1901) *

Carl Ludwig Willdenow Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants. Willdenow was als ...

(1765–1812)

References

External links

Algae: The World's Most Important "Plants"
video lecture by Russell Chapman from 2006.
British Phycological SocietyInternational Phycological SocietyAlgological
Studies is an international journal of phycology which publishes peer reviewed scientific papers of international significance from the entire field of algology (phycology)
AlgaeBaseSeaweed SiteANSP Phycology Section
{{Authority control

Notable phycologists

See also

References

External links