Once considered to be uniquely for the benefit of terrestrial plants, the matchmaking abilities of insects, birds, and bats were found to be shared by marine animals a few years ago, when scientists reported that nocturnal invertebrates pollinate the flowers of a seagrass species. A study published online today (July 28) in Science shatters yet another pollination paradigm by showing that a small crustacean species facilitates the fertilization of the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. This is the first evidence of animal-mediated “pollination” in a photosynthetic organism belonging to a group that is much more ancient than land plants.
The leader of the study, Myriam Valero, a population geneticist at Roscoff Marine Station in France, explains that the reproductive cycle of red algae shares some similarities with that of land plants. For instance, the male gametes—called spermatia—are not flagellated, and the female gametes are not released into the water. Thus, the ...
