Seaweed
Seaweed or macroalgae refers to several species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of red, brown, and green macroalgae. Marine algae species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; ocean algae species from seaweeds to planktons play a vital role in carbon capture, producing up to 90 percent of the planet's oxygen. Understanding these roles provides guiding principles for conservation and sustainable use of seaweeds to take precedence over industrial exploitation. Mechanical dredging of kelp, for instance, destroys the resource and dependent fisheries. Certain species of seaweed are valuable for nutrition, biomedicine, bioremediation, and other uses.
Sea foam
Foams can form following the degradation of harmful algal blooms (HABs). These are primarily composed of algal species, but can also consist of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. Biomass from algae in the bloom is integrated into sea foam in the sea surface microlayer. When the impacted sea foam breaks down, toxins from the algae are released into the air causing respiratory issues and occasionally initiating asthma attacks. "Phaeocystis globosa" is one algal species that is considered problematic, as observed in a study in the Netherlands. Its high biomass accumulation allows it to create large quantities of toxic foam that often wash onto beaches. "P. globosa" blooms are initiated in areas of high nutrient availability, often affiliated with coastal locations with a lot of stormwater runoff and eutrophication. Studies suggest that the development of foam is directly correlated to blooms caused by "P. globosa", despite that foam formation typically occurs approximately two weeks after the appearance of an algal bloom offshore. Organic material from "P. globosa" was observed decomposing while suspended at the sea surface, but was not observed lower in the water column. "P. globosa" is also considered a nuisance species because its large foam formations impair the public's ability to enjoy the beach.