Abstract
Structural coloration is widespread in the marine environment. Within the large variety of marine organisms, macroalgae represent a diverse group of more than 24 000 species. Some macroalgae have developed complex optical responses using different nanostructures and material compositions. In this review, we describe the mechanisms that are employed to produce structural color in algae and provide a discussion on the functional relevance by analyzing the geographical distribution and ecology in detail. In contrast to what is observed in the animal kingdom, we hypothesize that structural color in algae predominantly functions for a non‐communicative purpose, most likely protection from radiation damage, e.g., by harmful UV light. We suggest that the presence of structural color in algae is likely influenced by local factors such as radiation intensity and turbidity of the water.
Highlights
Structural colours are the result of the interaction of light with nanostructured materials
We describe the mechanisms of colour production in marine algae and compare them to those observed in land plants
Conclusions and future directions This review of structural colour in marine algae provides a new insight into this phenomenon and lays the foundation for future work in this largely unexplored topic
Summary
Structural colours are the result of the interaction of light with nanostructured materials. The majority of structurally coloured brown algae occurred in shallow waters (n = 123) in comparison to deep waters (n = 17) and rock pools (n = 46) This may suggest a defence mechanism against high levels of radiation, it has been shown that algae must be submerged in water in order to produce the necessary contrast in refractive index for structural colour to occur, considering a loss of structural colour out of water, we would expect results to reflect a significantly lower number of cases of structural colour in intertidal zones. Considering multiple defence mechanisms are common in plants and no negative association has been shown between multiple defensive traits and resource investment [94], the combination of high phlorotannins and structural colouration may provide an advantage over other species in high light environments, as supported by the extensive speciation and widespread distribution of Dictyota spp Another hypothesis for the function of structural colour is a defence mechanism against predators. In deeper waters where blue light is reduced, and considering blue light is important for photosynthesis and plant development, structural colour may function to re-direct the available light to photosynthetically active parts of the fronds that would otherwise be unable to capture light
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