"Even though the coral depends on the algae for much of its food, it may be largely unaware of its presence, " said Weis.

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But get over the ick factor: Aurora Algae has the potential to produce a wide range of food, pharma and fuel products from giant ponds of algae.

FORBES: Names You Need To Know: Aurora Algae

The stressful conditions make corals release the algae -- their source of food -- and thereby effectively starve themselves to death in the process.

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Now the EU is trying to shift biofuel production from food crops to farm waste, algae and straw.

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That means more nutrients in the soil, where it feeds food crops, and less in lakes and streams, where it feeds algae that sucks up oxygen and kills fish.

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Martek Biosciences Corp. of Columbia, Md. uses algae to produce omega-3 fatty acids, which it sells as a supplement for food and infant formula.

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It created a race to build the technology for making fuel from non-food sources, whether it was ethanol from wood chips and jet fuel from algae.

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But the company has discovered that its algae can be processed into other useful things: feed for fish farms, protein powders for food supplements and omega-3 fatty acids used in a variety of supplements and pharma products.

FORBES: Names You Need To Know: Aurora Algae