How much oxygen does algae produce at night compared to during the day?

Algae are photosynthetic organisms that primarily produce oxygen during the day, utilizing sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. At night, however, the absence of sunlight inhibits this process, leading to a different metabolic function. Instead of generating oxygen, algae (like most living organisms) switch to respiration during the night, consuming oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.

Therefore, the amount of oxygen produced by algae at night is considerably less because they do not engage in photosynthesis in the absence of light. In fact, the net output of oxygen at night can be negligible or even result in a consumption of oxygen, leading to a drop in the overall levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. This contrast in processes between day and night illustrates the dynamic role that algae play in aquatic ecosystems, being oxygen producers during daylight and consuming it during the night.