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Plant life in the ocean is very important to the survival of all parties involved. Plants are the basis of the food chain for almost all animals, mainly excluding those found in the deeper regions of the waters where there is very little to no sun light available to plants (although it could be argued that the only way the bacteria could survive to chemosynthesize is by "breathing" the oxygen supplied by plants further up in the ocean). There are bacteria that can live as deep as 1500m to 3200m near deep sea hot vents. These bacteria use a compound called hydrogen sulfide, instead of sunlight, to make their food. The bacteria get the hydrogen sulfide from deep sea hot water geysers that release this compound. In fact, because of these tiny bacteria an entire community of animals can survive and thrive in these hot vent areas.
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There are many plants that live and thrive in the ocean. They include seaweed, rockweed, sargassum, and seagrass. Plants in the sea serve as places of shelter for tiny fish. Their long weed-like tentacles make perfect hiding places when trying to escape predators. Seaweeds are able to survive in the ocean because they go through the process of photosynthesis and have a gelatinous coating that protects it from taking in too much salt water, which would increase the solute-solvent ratio and eventually plasmolyze the cell.
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Kelp: Kelp is a type of seaweed. It is brown and has a long, ruffled shape. Kelp attaches easily to rocks and serves as a good hiding place for small fish and crustaceans. You can often find Kelp tablets in many health food stores. The nutritional properties found in the kelp are beneficial for humans, and many people take kelp as a daily supplement.
Seaweed: Under the ocean seaweed grows in large patches. The tallest plants are called rockweed or seawacks. Seaweed has no roots, but can attach easily to rocks that lie beneath the ocean floor, rocks that protrude into the open from the ocean floor, or the ocean floor itself. Many types of seaweed are used as food substances. For instance, the Japanese use seaweed to wrap sushi, kelp is used as a nutritional supplement, and Irish moss produces a gelatin that is used as a thickener in soups, dairy products, shoe polish, and soap.