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It might look slightly alluring or even beautiful - but this algae is in fact deadly.

And that's probably why it name, thanatos, translates roughly from Greek to English to mean 'to die' or 'be dying'.

The filamentous algae seen in these spectacular underwater photographs is covering the Mediterranean seabed off the coast of La Ciotat, a commune in southern France.

According to experts, global warming has led to a major algal bloom.

(Image: Getty)

And that's bad news for natural flora.

As it grows, the thanatos filamentous algae suffocates the flora, climate change ultimately responsible for causing important biodiversity changes.

The images of a diver observing the algae were captured on Saturday.