Campbell Biology 11th Edition by Lisa Urry,Michael Cain,Steven Wasserman,Peter Minorsky,Jane Reece

Exercise 15

"Watermelon snow" in Antarctica is caused by a species of photosynthetic green algae that thrives in subzero temperatures (Chlamydomonas nivalis). These algae are also found in high-altitude year-round snowfields. In both locations, UV light levels tend to be high. Based on what you learned in this chapter, propose an explanation for why this photosynthetic alga appears reddish-pink.