Habitats of algae: identify the exception Algae are broadly distributed. They are commonly found in oceans, soils, and freshwater bodies. Which of the following is NOT an exception to their distribution (choose the location where algae are also found)?

Introduction / Context:
Understanding algal habitats is central to ecology and environmental biotechnology. Algae are primary producers in marine and freshwater systems and can also colonize terrestrial niches. The question checks whether you recognize that algae occur in the listed places—including as symbionts with fungi in lichens.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Locations listed: oceans, soils, lakes/streams, and associations with fungi.
• Algae include microalgae and macroalgae across several divisions.
• Lichens are mutualistic unions between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner (alga or cyanobacterium).

Concept / Approach:
Algae are ubiquitous where light and moisture permit photosynthesis. Marine phytoplankton drive global carbon cycling; freshwater algae populate ponds and rivers; terrestrial algae inhabit soil crusts; and many lichens contain green algal photobionts (for example, Trebouxia). Therefore, none of the listed habitats is an exception—algae occur in all of them.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Evaluate each habitat for algal presence.Confirm marine and freshwater presence: abundant.Acknowledge soil algae in biological soil crusts and moist soils.Recognize algal–fungal lichen symbioses as common on rocks, bark, and soil.Conclude that all listed are valid habitats, so select “None of the above.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Field guides to lichens explicitly describe green algal photobionts; limnology and oceanography texts confirm vast algal populations in waters and shorelines; soil biology references describe algal contributions to crust stability.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Each specific habitat option actually does harbor algae, so choosing any one of them as an exception would be incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
Overlooking lichens as habitats that include algae, or assuming soils are too dark. Many soil algae are surface dwellers in illuminated microhabitats.

Final Answer:
None of the above (algae occur in all the listed habitats, including lichen associations).