Appearing only in a lake in Hokkaido, the moss that grows into a sphere like a tennis ball is protected by the Japanese people and considered a natural treasure.
Lake Ikan , located in Ikan National Park, Hokkaido (Japan), is a famous hot spring resort. The lake is also home to Marimo, a rare spherical moss in the world. (Photo: Jnto).
Ball moss, also known as seaweed ball, algae bridge, and most commonly marimo (as the Japanese call it), is a filamentous, soft-bodied algae with the scientific name Aegagropila linnaei. Marimo usually grows into soft, green spheres that range in size from 12-30cm, depending on the location. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
Marimo is a rare algae and occurs only in a few countries such as Iceland (Lake Mývatn), Scotland, Estonia and Japan (Lake Akan). Recently, in 2014, a large amount of marimo was discovered on Dee Why Beach in Sydney (Australia) and this is the first time this algae has appeared in the Southern Hemisphere. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
Marimo does not grow around the core of an object, such as a pebble, the silk-like filaments continuously branch, growing from a central position, gradually forming a spherical shape. Surprisingly, the core of the sphere, even though it is not exposed to sunlight, still has chlorophyll in the form of “sleeping”. As long as there is light on when the orbs are broken, they will work again. (Photo: The Aquatic Gazette).
Marimo grows on the bottom of the lake, where the temperature ranges from 13-35 degrees Celsius, less affected by water currents, making them keep their spherical shape. This algae has the ability to move with water, ensuring that any part of the globe can photosynthesize. Marimo grows very slowly, increasing in size by only a few millimeters per year and has a very long lifespan. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
In Japan, the marimo is protected by the people, considered an object of good luck. The name marimo was coined by botanist Kawakami Tatsuhiko in 1898 (mari means shadow, mo stands for aquatic species), and has officially been considered a natural “treasure” since 1920. Since then to the present Every year, on March 29, in the Lake Akan area, a three-day festival will take place to honor marimo and raise awareness about the conservation of this unique algae. (Photo: Mossball).
Currently, marimo balls are sold in souvenir shops or used to decorate aquariums in Japan. (Photo: Shopify).
Meanwhile, the shadow of moss at Lake Mývatn (Iceland) is gradually disappearing. About a decade ago, there were so many algae balls in the lake that it could have been 2-3 layers thick on the bottom of the lake. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
Currently, in this lake, there is almost no algae living in this lake. Mining activities in the area pollute the water source, causing the number of algae demand to gradually decrease. The impact of natural factors such as wind and weather also affects the habitat of this algae. (Photo: Ağaçsakal/Youtube).
In 2006, the Icelandic government added this endemic algae to the list of urgent protection. (Photo: Amusing Planet).