Zhou Mingjiang

Effects of Prorocentrum donghaiense and Alexandrium catenella on the material transfer in a simulated marine food chain

Abstract The biochemical composition of Prorocentrum donghaiense was analyzed and the effects of P. donghaiense and Alexandrium catenella on the transport of materials through a simulated marine food chain were investigated. The results showed that the content of phenylalanine, histidine and lysine in P. donghaiense was obviously lower than that in other dietary microalgae. Fed with P. donghaiense solely, the gross conversion efficiencies (GCEs) of A. salina increased gradually when the algal densities were lower than 4 × 104 cells/ml, and decreased gradually at higher densities. When fed with the mixture of P. donghaiense and the diatom Nitzschia. closterium, A. salina preferred grazing on P. donghaiense to grazing on N. closterium, and the GCEs of A. salina decreased with the increasing density of P. donghaiense. Exposed to A. catenella, A. salina lost weight and no Chlorophyll a was detected in the guts, which indicated that A. salina did not ingest the algal cells. When the re-suspended cells and cell-free medium of A. catenella were mixed with N. closterium or P. donghaiense, respectively, the grazing and GCEs of A. salina were all diminished. Consequently, the large-scale blooms of P. donghaiense and A. catenella in the East China Sea could adversely affect zooplankton owing to insufficient food or nutrition, and therefore impact the material transfer efficiency through the food chain.

Combined effects of temperature, irradiance and salinity on growth of diatomSkeletonema costatum

Abstract3-factor experiment was used to study the combined effects of temperature, irradiance and salinity on the growth of an HAB species diatomSkeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve. The results showed that temperature (12, 19, 25, 32 °C), irradiance (0.02, 0.08, 0.3, 1.6)×1016 quanta/(s·cm2)) and salinity (10, 18, 25, 30, 35) significantly influenced the growth of this species. There were interactive effects between any two of and among all three physical factors on the growth. In the experiment, the most optimal growth condition forS. costatum was temperature of 25°C, salinity of 18–35 and irradiance of 1.6×1016 quanta/(s·cm2). The results indicatedS. costatum could divide at higher rate and were more likely to bloom under high temperature and high illumination from spring to fall. It was able to distribute widely in ocean and estuary due to its adaptation to a wide range of salinities.

Application of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in detecting the toxicity of harmful algae

The toxicity of seven major HAB (harmful algal bloom) species/strains, Prorocentrum donghaiense, Phaeocystis globosa, Prorocentrum micans, Alexandrium tamarense (AT-6, non-PSP producer), Alexandrium lusitanicum, Alexandrum tamarense (ATHK) and Heterosigma akashiwo were studied against rotifer Brachionus plicatilis under laboratory conditions. The results show that P. donghaiense, P. globosa, P. micans, A. tamarense (AT-6), or A. lusitanicum could maintain the individual survival and reproduction, as well as the population increase of the rotifer, but the individual reproduction would decrease when exposed to these five algae at higher densities for nine days; H. akashiwo could decrease the individual survival and reproduction, as well as population increase of the rotifer, which is similar to that of the starvation group, indicating that starvation might be its one lethal factor except for the algal toxins; A. tamarense (ATHK) has strong lethal effect on the rotifer with 48h LC50 at 800 cells/mL. The experiment on ingestion ability indicated by gut pigment change shows that P. donghaiense, P. globosa, P. micans, A. tamarense (AT-6) and A. lusitanicum can be taken by the rotifers as food, but A. tamarense (ATHK) or H. akashiwo can be ingested by the rotifers. The results indicate that all the indexes of individual survival and reproduction, population increase, gut pigment change of the rotifers are good and convenient to be used to reflect the toxicities of HAB species. Therefore, rotifer is suggested as one of the toxicity testing organisms in detecting the toxicity of harmful algae.

Morphological and toxicity characteristics ofPseudo-nitzschia pungens strain PP0201-01 isolated from the East China Sea

The morphology and toxicity ofPseudo-nitzschia strain PP0201-01, isolated near the estuary of Changjiang (Yangtze) River in Year 2002 and tentatively identified asPseudo-nitzschia pungens, were studied. The strain was identified morphologically asP. pungens using scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The analytical results of LC-PDA (liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector), LC-MS (liquid chromatography with mass detector), and the toxicity data from mouse bioassay, showed that no domoic acid was produced by the strain. However, the mechanism of domoic acid production byPseudo-nitzschia species is complicated. More works are needed to assess the toxic species and to evaluate the potential risk of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in China.

Will harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi grow phagotrophically

We studied the phagotrophic ability of dinoflagellate strain Karenia mikimotoi KM-Lü (isolated from the South China Sea), using fluorescent microspheres, bacteria isolated from the culture of K. mikimotoi and a marine microalgae Isochrysis galbana. We found that K. mikimotoi cultured under conditions of high light intensity could ingest fluorescent microspheres (diameters 0.5 and 2.0 μm) and fluorescence-labeled bacteria and microalgae. Under a low light intensity, however, only fluorescent microspheres (diameter 0.5 μm) and fluorescence-labeled microalgae were ingested. K. mikimotoi showed better growth by ingesting living marine bacteria or microalgae I. galbana than the controls, either in nutrient-depleted or nutrient-replete conditions. In nutrient-depleted conditions, the growth of K. mikimotoi was more significant with I. galbana as the prey item. In conclusion, the harmful dinoflagellate K. mikimotoi from the South China Sea has apparent phagotrophic ability, and some marine bacteria and microalgae may promote the growth of K. mikimotoi.

Competition among DinoflagellateAlexandrium tamarense, raphidophyteHeterosigma carterae and diatomSkeletonema costatum under combinations of two temperatures and five salinities

Competition among HAB (Harmful Algal Bloom) species DinoflagellateAlexandrium tamarense, RaphidophyteHeterosigma carterae, and DiatomSkeletonema costatum was studied in the laboratory. Experiments with these three major HAB species under combinations of different salinities (10, 18, 25, 30, 35) and temperatures (19°C, 25°C) were carried out. The results showed thatS. costatum successfully competed with the other two species at salinities of 18, 25, 30, and 35 at temperatures of 19°C and 25°C. However,H. carterae showed its advantage at low salinity of 10 and became the single dominant species at salinity 10 and 25°C.A. tamarense could not compete successfully with the other two species especially at low salinities. However, it could remain at low density in the presence of higher densities of other algae.