Free Algae Identifier - Identify Algaes by Picture Online Free

Upload a clear photo of the algae in the water and a sample on a white background, and the identifier will suggest a scientific name such as Spirogyra or Cladophora. Many algae can only be confirmed under a microscope, so results may be at genus level.

Duckweed is made of tiny separate floating leaves, each with a small root hanging below, and you can pick up individual plants. Algae form slimy threads, mats, films or uniformly colored water with no distinct leaves.

Some blooms are cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which can produce toxins harmful to people, dogs and livestock. If water looks like spilled paint or pea soup, keep pets and children out and check your local environmental agency's advice; a photo cannot confirm whether a bloom is toxic.

Algae usually thrive on excess light and nutrients, such as uneaten fish food, fertilizer runoff or decaying plants. Reducing light hours and nutrient levels is the usual first step.

Not exactly. Algae are a varied group of photosynthetic organisms; green algae are close relatives of land plants, while cyanobacteria are actually bacteria. This is one reason identification by photo is harder than for flowering plants.