The short-term effects of elevated CO2 and ammonium concentrations on physiological responses in Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

• Main Authors: Jin Woo Kang, Cicilia Kambey, Zhou Shen, Yufeng Yang, Ik Kyo Chung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 2017-08-01
• Series: Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Subjects: CO2; Eutrophication; Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis; NH4 +; Ocean acidification (OA)
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41240-017-0063-y

Abstract Ocean acidification (OA) and coastal eutrophication affect coastal marine organisms. We studied the physiological responses of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) to increased concentrations of CO2 and NH4 +. Incubation treatments were applied at two different pH units (low, 7.5; high (control), 7.9) and three different NH4 + concentrations (low, 10; medium, 50; high, 100 μM). Growth, rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution, and NH4 + uptake rates were affected by both elevated CO2 and NH4 + conditions. The changes in the pH of culture media were influenced by elevated CO2 or NH4 + treatments. However, chlorophyll fluorescence was affected only by the level of NH4 +. These results indicate that the physiological responses of G. lemaneiformis might be enhanced when the concentrations of CO2 and NH4 + rise. Therefore, cultures of this alga could provide a good mitigation solution against ongoing problems with OA and coastal eutrophication.