One of the primary differences between algae and plants is that the latter have connective tissues that serve to transport nutrients and water throughout the entire body of the plant. In the case of the algae, each individual cell is responsible for absorbing its own water. This makes the algae nonvascular compared to the highly vascular plant species. In this connection, algae also lack several key structures that are normally present in ordinary plants like the leaves, roots and stem. The absence of these structures further reaffirms the nonvascular nature of algae. Furthermore, this is exactly the reason why many algae are nowadays not described as plants. They are now grouped in their own known loose groups or phyla.

Although algae can still possess a multitude if cells, the typical algae like the green alga is a single-celled organism. This makes it a simpler entity compared to multi-cellular plant organisms that have chloroplasts, are able to create embryos and whose cells have cellulose walls. On top of these characteristics they obviously lack the capability of locomotion.

With regard to their place of growth, the majority of algae usually thrive underwater though there can be some types that can live on land and even on snow. Algae just use the minerals found in the water to produce their own food for survival. Plants, on the contrary, mostly thrive on land because they use the natural sunlight and carbon dioxide to keep some of its most important biologic processes going on.

In addition, the mode of reproduction or the reproduction system itself is more complex in plants compared to the more primitive counterpart in the algae.

Although both algae and plants are photosynthetic in nature and are classified as eukaryotes (have highly differentiated cells that contain specialized structures like the nucleus), the two still differ in the following aspects:

1. Algae can either be unicellular and multi-cellular while plants are multi-cellular organisms.
2. Algae typically live underwater while plants thrive on land.
3. Algae are nonvascular. They don’t have structures such as connective tissues, leaves, stems.

doog, some people will think you are altogether off topic.

On the other hand there are biologists will tell you some algae is cyanobacteria. In any case it's vegetable matter that absorbs solar warmth during photosynthesis.

Science barely knows the basic biology of life in the oceans. A marine biology professor pulled me up on that point and said science knows even less than that.

I think university business modelling should involve teaching solutions required for present day problems, such as reducing sewage nutrient overload pollution dumped in ocean ecosystems worldwide.

Evidence of substance indicates reduction of the nutrient loading will reduce warming in areas of oceans and make climate more natural.
What do university peers think about that?

If universities were capable of joining together in teamwork they could do the science to establish nutrient trading, for example to allow householders to sell their waste to feed algae for biofuel.

Emissions trading and nutrient trading go hand in hand together. The plumbing industry can build new cities and retrofit the old.

Science has the ability to stimulate the world economy. All humans live within the ocean ecosystem.

All countries would be happy with economic stimulus associated with proper scientific management of the oceans and atmosphere of our planet.

The subject of algae gives rise to numerous business and employment and prosperity, opportunities. Plumbing and agriculture already employ multi-millions.

Productive infrastructure projects are needed to generate export revenue, including through scientifically harnessing algae.

What does Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have to say and tweet about algae and nutrient trading and aqueduct infrastructure in Queensland?

This is another storm in a teacup. Online courses provide the teaching, but qualifications can only have value if the knowledge is tested. There have been correspondence universities for many decades giving valued degrees, which have had little effect on the demand for brick and mortar universities which will always have their place.

Exactly, Shadow Minister.

What are universities doing about reducing the "amount of nutrients in water" killing coral worldwide?

Photos show bleached coral but look at the already dead coral in background and to the sides.

http://www.catchnews.com/environment-news/why-are-corals-turning-white-and-what-does-it-mean-for-us-1444830733.html

I think universities would gain significant public and government support if their education business models were known to include solving present day problems such as devastation of ocean ecosystems on this planet.