Nutrient concentration in tissue of the macroalga Enteromorpha as a function of nutrient history: an experimental evaluation using field microcosms

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Nutrient enrichment experiments were conducted to assess the relationship between nutrient concentration in the tissue of the macroalga Enteromorpha sp. and nutrient history. Experimental units were outdoor microcosms containing mixed assemblages of algae representative of communities commonly found in coastal lagoons of southern California, USA. We determined the relationship between nutrient supply rates (nitrogen and phosphorus as well as N:P ratio), water-column nutrient concentrations, and nlacroalgal tissue nutrient concentration in samples taken from experimental microcosms containing macroalgae, phytoplankton, and cyanobacterial mats, and treated with 13 combinations of mtrogen and phosphorus addition. The regression coefficients that descnbed the fit of the relationships between tissue P and both P supply rate and water-column concentration were greater than for the same relationships for N. The relationship between tissue nutrients and either measure of nutrient history (water-column concentration or supply rate) was most useful when the nutrient was not limiting.

World’s largest macroalgal bloom caused by expansion of seaweed aquaculture in China

“…The wet weight of the congeneric algae E. intestinalis is known to be seven times its dry weight (Kamer and Fong, 2000), thus the dry weight equivalent of algae removed was 142,857 tonnes. The nitrogen content of E. intestinalis is 20 mg per gram dry weight (Fong et al, 1994). Thus the nitrogen content of algae removed was 2857 tonnes.…”

Environmental control of the annual erect phase of <i>Nemalion helminthoides</i> (Rhodophyta) in the field

“…As reported for several macroalgae species growing under transient nutrient pulses (McGlathery, 1992;Barr and Rees, 2003;Costanzo et al, 2000;Nielsen, 2003), the nutrient requirements for sustaining maximum growth and high reproductive effort are usually higher than the mean nutrient availability, even in areas where nutrient background levels exceed those reported in this study (McGlathery, 1992;Borum, 1996, 1997;Phil et al, 1996;Fong et al, 1998;Barr and Rees, 2003;Nielsen, 2003). This nutrient restriction implies that the nutrient uptake during pulses is directly diverted into growth and reproduction (Fong et al, 1994;Vergara et al, 1995), which might explain the lack of short-term physiological responses in N. helminthoides.…”

Identifying nutrient sources to three lagoons at Ofu and Olosega, American Samoa using δ15N of benthic macroalgae

“…Unlike some marine organisms and plants, macroalgae are known to incorporate nutrients directly from the water column and store excess nutrients in their tissues, providing an integrated record of nutrient influx (Fong et al, 1994). Thus, macroalgae may better provide a history of nutrient influx to a site compared to other organisms that can: directly fix nitrogen (cyanobacteria; e.g., Howarth et al, 1988); primarily take up nutrients from sediments and interstitial water and not directly from the water column (rooted plants such as sea grasses; Paling and McComb, 1994;Erftenmeijer and Middleburg, 1995); or, incorporate nutrients from symbionts or ingested plants and/or other organisms (coral reef organisms; Mills et al, 2004).…”

“…Under high-flow regimes, oligotrophic waters are able to provide sufficient nutrients for algal growth, but storage of nutrients in algal tissues is limited due to both low residence time and low nutrient concentrations of the water (Larned and Atkinson, 1997). When high concentrations of nutrients are available, from episodic pulses to sustained high concentrations, some macroalgae store nutrients in their tissues (Wheeler and North, 1980;Lapointe and Duke, 1984;Fong et al, 1994). However, Fong et al (2003) found there is not a direct correlation between nutrient concentrations in water and macroalgae tissue, but that nutrient content of tropical marine algae affects the organism's response to N and P influx, be it growth or storage.…”