Inhibition of photosynthesis in the microalga Chaetoceros curvisetus(Bacillariophyta) by macroalga Gracilaria lemaneiformis(Rhodophyta)

We investigated the effects of dried macroalga Gracilaria lemaneiform （Rhodophyta） on photosynthesis of the bloom-forming microalga Chaetoceros curvisetus. C. curvisetus was cultured with different amounts of dried G. lemaneiformis under controlled laboratory conditions. We measured the photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate and established the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient （OJIP） curve coupled with its specific parameters. We observed concentration-dependent and time-dependent relationships between dried G. lemaneiformis and inhibition of photosynthesis in C. curvisetus. Co-culture with dried G. lemaneiformis also resulted in a decrease in the light-saturated maximum photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate （P^ax） in C. curvisetus, and a decrease in the OJIP curve along with its specific parameters; the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII （FJFm）, the amount of active PSII reaction centers per excited cross section at t=0 and t=--tFM （RC/CS0 and RC/CSm, respectively）, the absorption flux per excited cross section at t=0 （ABS/ CS0）, and the efficiency with which a trapped exciton moves an electron into the electron transport chain （~u0）. The dark respiration rate （Rd） increased in C. curvisetus co-cultured with dried G. lemaneiformis. The JIP-test and the oxygen evolution results indicated that dried G. lemaneiJbrmis decreased the number of active reaction centers, blocked the electron transport chain, and damaged the oxygen-evolving complex of C. curvisetus. This result indicated that dried fragments of G. lemaneiformis could effectively inhibit photosynthesis of C. curvisetus, and thus, could serve as a functional product to control and mitigate C. curvisetus blooms.

The study on the effect of NO on the growth of Chaetoceros curvisetus

This article studied nitric oxide (NO) effect on the growth of Chaetoceros curvisetus in chemistry for the first time. Nitric oxide was added into the media with 4 different nutrient concentrations f/2, f/50, f/100, and f/200 when the alga was growing. The growth of C. curvisetus could be obviously promoted or inhibited during the cultivation process in NO enriched media of different concentrations. The growth curve in such media showed a sharp single peak that is the optimal NO concentration for the alga growth, which is consistent with the influence of NO on the growth of high plants. In addition, C. curvisetus can produce NO by itself during the growth. Therefore, using NO could effectively regulate the algae growth, which is important in real tide control and remediation.

Nutrient compositions of cultured Skeletonema costatum,Chaetoceros curvisetus,and Thalassiosira nordenskildii

We cultured different-sized fractions of dominant phytoplankton species, Skeletonema costatum, Chaetoceros curvisetus, and Thalassiosira nordenskioldii, collected in different sea areas in various seasons, and measured and compared their C, N, P, Si contents. The N content of these species is similar, while the C, P, and Si contents of S. costatum from eutrophic Changjiang （Yangtze River） estuary are higher than those from Jiaozhou Bay （JZB）, particularly the content of Si. The C, N, P, and Si contents of cultured phytoplankton in JZB increase with size fraction augmentation, and the percentages of C, N, and P follow the same trend, while the percentage of Si remain constant. Moreover, S. costatum from small-sized fraction assimilated Si more easily than C. curvisetus and T. nordenskirldii, which is explained by the dominance of S. costatum under the conditions of low SiO3-Si concentration in JZB. The C, N, P, and Si contents of cultured S. costatum collected during summer and winter are higher, which is consistent with the phytoplankton blooming seasons in JZB. The SiO3-Si concentration of seawater during spring restrain the growth of phytoplankton, supported by the fact that the N, P, and Si contents and their ratios in cells of cultured S. costatum are low in spring season.