Terrestrial algae flourish in the alkaline coastal regions where mosses and lichens cannot originate. Prasiola crispa a variety of terrestrial alga originates as a green mat and resembles like sea lettuce. They are groups of minute algae, which proliferate quickly in the snow when nutrient and heat circumstances are right. There are lichens, bryophytes, fungi and over 700 species of algae discovered in the Antarctic. Most of the algae are single-celled oceanic plants termed as phytoplankton.
