#nostoc — Public Fediverse posts

Appreciation for Cyanobacteria (and the humble species of the Nostoc genus)

“It is certainly no exaggeration to say that we owe our existence in present form to cyanobacteria.” - Kartik Aiyer, PhD, University of Aarhus

Behind the Shady Hollow Community Center in southwest Austin, Texas is a concrete slab. It may be related to a water treatment facility that was decommissioned a couple decades ago. During dry weather, one can find at one end of it dark patches of crunchy stuff that most persons would probably think is leaf litter or unidentifiable crud. But, when it rains, runoff water puddles at that end of the slab and the crunchy black stuff quickly becomes dark-green icky glop when it rehydrates. Look closely. It is a species of a cyanobacteria of the Nostoc genus. Some sources indicate it can survive 100 years in the dehydrated state. Cyanobacteria are believed to have evolved on Earth about 3.5 billion years ago and the Nostoc species about 600 million years ago. I take a deep breath, feel the effects of oxygen in my lungs, and appreciate the indispensable contribution that humble cyanobacteria made to my very existence. I have included photos that show the Nostoc from a distance and up close to reveal its photosynthetic chlorophyll.

https://asm.org/articles/2022/february/the-great-oxidation-event-how-cyanobacteria-change

#Nature #Evolution #Biology #Cyanobacteria #Nostoc #Oxygen #Aarhus #Denmark #TIL

Nostoc sometimes referred to as "Witches Butter) is a Cyanobacteria often found in shallow pools of water on the surface of the Burren limestone. When dry it shrinks into a dark crumbly form - but when wet it can plump out beautifully 😍
County Clare, Ireland.

Cormacscoast.com walking tours

#wildatlanticway #walkingtours #discoverireland #keepdiscovering #biodiversity #nostoc

As children we thought it was an alien invasion. The "things" could somehow move around. We often found it on the patio. Here they marched from the fields onto the path.😉
Indeed, #Nostoc or star jelly / spit of moon is a fascinating colony-building #cyanobacteria capable of #photosynthesis. Nostoc is a master of survival, symbiotic with #plants, #fungi, and other #bacteria. It can help moss to survive on bare rocks.

#mosstodon #extremophiles #algae #lichensubscribe #NatureMatchCuts

Nostoc in a Burren dissolution depression. Nostoc is a type of photosynthesising Cyanobacteria that is commonly found in shallow pools of water in the Burren. County Clare, Ireland.

Cormacscoast.com Walking tours

#nostoc #burrenandcliffsofmohergeopark #Ireland