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Temporarily Closed

During the final phase of the Hellems Building reconstruction project, the CU Museum will be closed for reorganization. We will reopen on the first day of Spring Semester, January 8, 2026. Special access requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please email cumuseum@colorado.edu for more information. 

Pigmentation

Painting with green and white swirls
Pigmentation is the first of the key characteristic used for classifying algae. They come in a variety of colors, ranging from red to blue-green to nearly everything in between. This is due to the combination of a presence or absence of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and other photosynthetic compounds. This piece was inspired by the marbled design caused by blue-green algal blooms in many freshwater ecosystems. While they may appear colorful and even beautiful, many algal blooms of this type are actually indicative of suffering ecosystems and may produce toxins, putting both humans and other organisms at serious risk.

Maggie Anderson
Second year Master’s student
Environmental Engineering