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Utilization efficiency of nitrogen associated with riverine dissolved organic carbon (> 1 kDa) by two toxin-producing phytoplankton species

Stolte, W. ; Panosso, R. ; Gisselson, L. A. and Graneli, Edna LU (2002) In Aquatic Microbial Ecology 29(1). p.97-105
Abstract
Riverine high molecular weight dissolved organic material (HMWDOM) >1 kDa contains varying amounts of nitrogen. This nitrogen is partly available for growth of phytoplankton and can therefore contribute to algal bloom formation. However, there is a lack of knowledge on species-specific utilization efficiency of this HMWDOM-bound nitrogen. A specific question is whether this nitrogen can be used by toxic or otherwise harmful species and, thus, contribute to unwanted eutrophication effects in coastal waters. In this context, 2 phytoplankton species and known toxic bloom-formers in marine coastal waters were cultured in nitrogen-limited semi-continuous cultures with river extracted HMWDOM and nitrate as nitrogen source in the following... (More)
Riverine high molecular weight dissolved organic material (HMWDOM) >1 kDa contains varying amounts of nitrogen. This nitrogen is partly available for growth of phytoplankton and can therefore contribute to algal bloom formation. However, there is a lack of knowledge on species-specific utilization efficiency of this HMWDOM-bound nitrogen. A specific question is whether this nitrogen can be used by toxic or otherwise harmful species and, thus, contribute to unwanted eutrophication effects in coastal waters. In this context, 2 phytoplankton species and known toxic bloom-formers in marine coastal waters were cultured in nitrogen-limited semi-continuous cultures with river extracted HMWDOM and nitrate as nitrogen source in the following proportions (%): 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0 (HMWDOM-bound nitrogen). Prymnesium parvum f. patelliferum (Green, Hibberd et Pienaar) A. Larsen, an ichthyotoxic prymnesiophyte, was not able to utilize the nitrogen bound to HMWDOM. The toxicity of this species, measured as hemolytic activity, did not show any significant correlation with HMWDOM concentration. In contrast, Alexandrium tamarense, a toxin-producing dinoflagellate responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), was able to use nitrogen from riverine HMWDOM as efficiently as nitrate, when the HMWDOM fraction was up to 75 % of the total dissolved nitrogen. When HMWDOM was supplied as the sole nitrogen source, the growth efficiency was reduced by approximately half. At steady state, the total cellular toxin content and toxicity of A. tamarense was negatively correlated with the fraction of HMWDOM. The use of organic nitrogen sources by marine dinoflagellates is well known. Here, we show that nitrogen from a terrestrial origin can be very efficiently used by toxic A. tamarense and could therefore contribute to unwanted eutrophication effects. (Less)
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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
categories
Higher Education
in
Aquatic Microbial Ecology
volume
29
issue
1
pages
97 - 105
publisher
Inter-Research
external identifiers
  • scopus:0037015312
ISSN
0948-3055
DOI
10.3354/ame029097
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
834ec74d-056a-4cc2-a15d-08829866d01b (old id 7994117)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:01:36
date last changed
2022-04-15 08:47:33
@article{834ec74d-056a-4cc2-a15d-08829866d01b,
  abstract     = {{Riverine high molecular weight dissolved organic material (HMWDOM) >1 kDa contains varying amounts of nitrogen. This nitrogen is partly available for growth of phytoplankton and can therefore contribute to algal bloom formation. However, there is a lack of knowledge on species-specific utilization efficiency of this HMWDOM-bound nitrogen. A specific question is whether this nitrogen can be used by toxic or otherwise harmful species and, thus, contribute to unwanted eutrophication effects in coastal waters. In this context, 2 phytoplankton species and known toxic bloom-formers in marine coastal waters were cultured in nitrogen-limited semi-continuous cultures with river extracted HMWDOM and nitrate as nitrogen source in the following proportions (%): 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0 (HMWDOM-bound nitrogen). Prymnesium parvum f. patelliferum (Green, Hibberd et Pienaar) A. Larsen, an ichthyotoxic prymnesiophyte, was not able to utilize the nitrogen bound to HMWDOM. The toxicity of this species, measured as hemolytic activity, did not show any significant correlation with HMWDOM concentration. In contrast, Alexandrium tamarense, a toxin-producing dinoflagellate responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), was able to use nitrogen from riverine HMWDOM as efficiently as nitrate, when the HMWDOM fraction was up to 75 % of the total dissolved nitrogen. When HMWDOM was supplied as the sole nitrogen source, the growth efficiency was reduced by approximately half. At steady state, the total cellular toxin content and toxicity of A. tamarense was negatively correlated with the fraction of HMWDOM. The use of organic nitrogen sources by marine dinoflagellates is well known. Here, we show that nitrogen from a terrestrial origin can be very efficiently used by toxic A. tamarense and could therefore contribute to unwanted eutrophication effects.}},
  author       = {{Stolte, W. and Panosso, R. and Gisselson, L. A. and Graneli, Edna}},
  issn         = {{0948-3055}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{97--105}},
  publisher    = {{Inter-Research}},
  series       = {{Aquatic Microbial Ecology}},
  title        = {{Utilization efficiency of nitrogen associated with riverine dissolved organic carbon (> 1 kDa) by two toxin-producing phytoplankton species}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/ame029097}},
  doi          = {{10.3354/ame029097}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}