Algae

Ten Fun Facts About Algae

Algae can power planes, churn out—and eat up—oxygen, grow to hundreds of feet, and more.

Published: January-February 2012

1) Percent of oxygen produced by algae: 30-50
2) Milligrams of carrageenans, a red algae extract, the average American consumes daily, often in dairy products: 250
3) Maximum length, in feet, that kelp, the largest algae, can grow: 200
4) Times more productive algae is than traditional crops as a biofuel: 50
5) Number of Continental Airlines flight that, in November, was the first U.S. commercial passenger trip powered by algae biofuel: 1403
6) Years ago, after a mass extinction, that algae and bacteria consumed all of the sea’s oxygen, slowing the earth’s recovery: 250,000,000
7) Number of glowing algae that can be found in a gallon of water from Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bays: 720,000
8) Number of moderate to large algal cells, per milliliter of water, needed for an algal bloom: 15,000
9) Area, in square miles, of the Mississippi River’s dead zone, where decaying algae have depleted oxygen: 8,500
10) Number of cells in the most basic algae: 1