No abstract

Carpospores of Pyropia acanthophora var. brasiliensis are dispersion and reproduction units responsible for giving rise to the diploid filamentous structure of this alga's life cycle. The present study assesses the anthropogenic impact of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on morphology and ultrastructure, spore viability, autofluorescence of chloroplasts and the amount of intensity of ROS during the germination of carpospores. Carpospores were cultivated at 24 ± 1°C, 40 ± 10 μmol photons m−2 s−1 with photoperiod of 12 h and exposed to UVAR + UVBR for 3 h a day for 2 days with a daily dose of 5.05 J cm−2 for UVAR and 0.095 J cm−2 for UVBR. Samples were cultured for another five days exposed only to PAR in order to confirm their viability after the initial 2‐day exposure. Carpospores showed significant sensitivity to UVR exposure after only 48 h, including changes in developmental rate, overall morphology, cell organization and chloroplast autofluorescence. UVR exposure inhibited germ tube formation in carpospores, which were mostly nonviable and/or altered, showing retracted cytoplasm and disorganized cytoplasmic content. Even in the absence of UVR exposure, carpospores remained collapsed, indicating irreversible damage. It can be concluded that UVR is a limiting factor for the development of P. acanthophora.

Ocean warming is increasing and scientific predictions suggest a rise of up to 4°C in sea water temperatures. The combination of a polluted and warmer environment may be detrimental for aquatic species, especially for primary producers such as seaweeds. This study investigated the potential for interactive effects of an increased seawater temperature in a copper‐rich environment on the photosynthetic pigments and metabolic compounds of the red seaweed Gelidium floridanum. Seaweed samples were cultivated in a factorial design with temperature (24°C and 30°C), copper (0 and 3 μM), and time (7 and 14 d). The exposure of G. floridanum to copper and 30°C for 7 d resulted in a lower concentration of chlorophyll a, smaller phycobiliprotein rods and lower concentration of soluble sugars. After 14 d of cultivation, a higher concentration of chlorophyll a and soluble sugars could be observed on seaweeds cultivated under 30°C. The accumulation of carotenoids and the release of phenolic compounds indicated specific protective mechanisms against temperature and copper, respectively. Overall, seaweeds grew less when exposed to copper 3 μM at 30°C.

Spore settlement and development are bottlenecks for resilience of habitat‐forming macroalgal species. These processes are directly related to temperature, a global stressor protagonist of ocean warming. The toxic effects of local pollutants such as copper may be worsened under a global warming scenario. Therefore, in this paper, we investigated the effects of increased temperature combined with elevated concentrations of copper on the viability, photosynthetic pigments, and ultrastructure of Gelidium floridanum tetraspores. Tetraspores were cultivated on slides with sterilized seawater or seawater enriched with CuCl2, and incubated under 24°C or 30°C for 24 h. Tetraspores cultivated with copper 3.0 μM under 30°C had lower viability. Both temperature and copper had a significant effect on phycocyanin and phycoerythrin concentrations. Samples cultivated with copper under 30°C presented a heavily altered cellular structure, with vesicles throughout the cytoplasm, chloroplasts with altered structure and cells with degenerated cytoplasm and cell walls. Our findings show that temperature and copper significantly affect the viability, photosynthetic pigments, and ultrastructure of G. floridanum tetraspores, presenting an additive interaction for the physiology of this seaweed's early stages.