Copper Tolerance in the Marine Fouling Alga Ectocarpus siliculosus

Russell, G.; Morris, Olea

doi:10.1038/228288a0

Cited by 105 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Studies comparing populations from habitats with different extremes of a particular environmental parameter have been valuable for identifying physiological ecotypes in several species of plants (Bradshaw, 1971). An example of this sort of differentiation was found Prancke & Rheberger (1982) between two populations of Ectocarpus siliculosus, one growing in an environment with a high concentration of copper on the bottom of ships and another population growing on an unpolluted rocky shore (Russell & Morris, 1970). Strains collected from the ship population tolerated a much higher concentration of copper than strains from the rocky shore.…”

Section: Morphological Differentiationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Genetic differentiation among populations of marine algae

Innes

1984

Helgoländer Meeresunters

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Most of the information for genetic differentiation among populations of marine algae is from studies on ecotypic variation. Physiological ecotypes have been described for individuals showing different responses to temperature and salinity conditions. Morphological ecotypes have also been found associated with areas differing in wave exposure or different intertidal positions. Little is known on how genetic variation is organized within and between populations of marine algae. The occurrence of ecotypic variation in some species is evidence for genetic differentiation among populations resulting from selection by the local environment. The rate of dispersal and subsequent gene flow will also affect the level of differentiation among populations. In species with low dispersal, differentiation can arise through chance founder events or random genetic drift. The few studies available have shown that species of algae exhibit a range of dispersal capabilities. This information can be useful for predicting the potential level of genetic differentiation among populations of these species. Crossing experiments with several species of algae have shown that populations separated by a considerable distance can be inteffertile. In some cases individuals from these populations have been found to be morphologically distinct. Crosses have been used to study the genetic basis of this variation and are evidence for genetic differentiation among the populations sampled. Genetic variation of enzyme proteins detected by electrophoresis provides an additional method for measuring genetic variation within and between populations of marine algae. Etectrophoretic methods have previously been used to study systematic problems in algae. However, there have been few attempts to use electrophoretic variation to study the genetic structure of populations of marine algae. This approach is outlined and includes some of the potential problems associated with interpreting electrophoretic data. Studies of electrophoretic variation in natural populations of Enteromorpha linza from Long Island Sound are used as an example. This species was found to reproduce only asexually. Despite a dispersing spore stage, genetic differentiation was found on a microgeographic scale and was correlated with differences in the local environment of some of the populations. Similar studies on other species, and especially sexually reproducing species, will add to a growing understanding of the evolutionary genetics of marine algae.

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Section: Morphological Differentiationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Genetic differentiation among populations of marine algae

Innes

1984

Helgoländer Meeresunters

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“…In the polychaete Nereis diversicolor tolerance to both Cu and Zn appears to be genetically based (Bryan, 1976). Tolerance to Cu observed in Fucus vesiculosus from this estuary might also have a genetic basis since this has been observed in other seaweeds (Russell & Morris, 1970). Although having a lower initial growth rate F. vesiculosus from the Creek was able to continue growing in water containing 0.1 ppm of Cu which prevented growth in weed from other estuaries (Fig.…”

Section: Restronguet Creekmentioning

confidence: 98%

Recent trends in research on heavy-metal contamination in the sea

Bryan

1980

Helgolander Meeresunters

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Recent trends in the study of metal contamination in the sea are reviewed. Aspects of contamination which are considered include the input of metals to the sea and their deposition in the sediments, the influence of environmental and biological factors on the accumulation of metals by the biota and the use of organisms as indicators of contamination. Laboratory studies on the biological effects of metals and the problem of monitoring effects in the field are discussed. The importance of the metabohsm of metals by the biota is stressed since it is relevant to the adaptation of organisms to chronic contamination and to the attainment of very high levels in some commercial species. Finally, the abatement of contamination is discussed.

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“…From the very limited available literature there is evidence for both intra-specific variation in the degree of metal resistance (e.g. Russell and Morris 1970;Reed and Moffat 1983;Anderson et al 1990;Nielsen et al 2003), and constitutive resistance (e.g. Edwards 1972;Correa et al 1996;Contreras et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Inter-population comparisons of copper resistance and accumulation in the red seaweed, Gracilariopsis longissima

Brown

Newman²,

Han

2011

Ecotoxicology

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Copper (Cu) resistance and accumulation of five populations of the red seaweed Gracilariopsis longissima collected from sites in south west England (Fal Estuary, Helford Estuary and Chesil Fleet) that differ in their degree of Cu contamination was assessed under controlled laboratory conditions, on two separate occasions (April and October). The effects of a range of Cu concentrations (0-250 μg l(-1)) on relative growth rates was the same for all populations with reductions observable at concentrations as low as 12 μg l(-1) and cessation of growth at 250 μg l(-1). There was no significant difference in the calculated EC(50) values for the April and October samples, with means of 31.1 and 25.8 μg l(-1), respectively. Over the range of concentrations used in this study, copper content increased linearly and the pattern of accumulation was the same for all populations at both time periods. From the linear regressions of the pooled data a concentration factor of 2.25 × 10(3) was calculated. These results imply that G. longissima has an innate tolerance to Cu and that populations have not evolved copper-tolerant ecotypes. In laboratory studies, accumulated Cu was released when transferred to 'clean' seawater with approximately 80% being lost after 8 days, with no significant difference between populations in their response. The results from a 30 days in situ transplantation experiment using two populations from the Fal Estuary provided further evidence for dynamic changes in Cu content in response to changes in Cu bioavailability. The findings in this study are discussed in the context of implications for seaweed biomonitoring.

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Copper Tolerance in the Marine Fouling Alga Ectocarpus siliculosus

Cited by 105 publications

References 4 publications

Genetic differentiation among populations of marine algae

Genetic differentiation among populations of marine algae

Recent trends in research on heavy-metal contamination in the sea

Inter-population comparisons of copper resistance and accumulation in the red seaweed, Gracilariopsis longissima

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