Lyngbya Alage Mats

Lyngbya is a problematic aquatic growth that is common to many ponds in north texas.

Lyngbya alage mats. When handled it feels like wet wool or cotton. Lyngbya is one group of cyanobacteria of special concern. This type of algae forms dense mats and has a strong musty smell. Mats often float to the surfa.

Lyngbya species form long unbranching filaments inside a rigid mucilaginous sheath. Lyngbya normally grows in dense mats at the bottoms of nutrient enriched lakes and spring fed systems. Its thick glycoprotein sheath adds an extra physical barrier that fortifies the cell wall. An individual lyngbya filament is usually unbranched it is composed of large discoid cells that are stacked within a firm polysaccharide sheath.

Clumps are difficult to pull apart. Black mat algae grows at the bottom of slow moving freshwaters. It ranges in color and usually appears green brown gray or black. These mats are usually tan greenish and sometimes black in color and can be mistakenly identified as dead floating algae.

Sheaths may form tangles or mats intermixed with other. E g moorea limnoraphis okeania microseira and dapis. This is bad news for a number of reasons beyond the problems caused by less noxious algae. On top of this layer is an established microbial community or microbiota that works mutualistically with the lyngbya the microbiota defends its host by helping to gather resources for growth or shielding it.

Healthy mats are usually blue black but turn yellow green under intense light. They are more common during drought conditions and a significant rain event will likely dissipate the mats. These mats produce gasses during photosynthesis that often cause the mats to rise to the surface. Lyngbya is a blue green algae or cyanobacteria that grows in thick mats.

Lyngbya wollei lyngbya is a large celled filamentous mat forming cyanobacterium blue green alga it occurs in fresh water and especially flourishes in florida s spring fed waters. Lyngbya is a large celled filamentous mat forming algae. If you re unlucky enough to have the giant variety known as lyngbya wollei these mats can quickly grow to several acres in size if left untreated. Much as pennies are stacked within a roll of coins.

The algal mats were identified as lyngbya and spirulina. It is not an aquatic plant nor a true algae but actually a type of cyanobacteria and can be a pond owner s worst nightmare. A survival specialist lyngbya uses several mechanisms to ensure it stays happy and healthy. As a result of recent genetic analyses several new genera was erected from this genus.