Developing Systems for the Commercial Culture of Ulva Species in the UK

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Developing Systems for the Commercial Culture of Ulva Species in the UK Developing systems for the commercial culture of Ulva species in the UK Guang Gao A thesis submitted to Newcastle University in candidature for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Marine Science and Technology May 2016 Abstract The green seaweed, Ulva, is highly valued in terms of animal feed, food and biofuel, as well in the delivery of crucial remediation services including wastewater treatment and CO2 removal. Accordingly, Ulva cultivation has gained significant research interest worldwide. Notwithstanding these research efforts, Ulva cultivation is still in its infancy and knowledge to underpin such developments remains limited. A common challenge in Ulva cultivation is the fluctuating productivity with time due to vegetative fragmentation and/or periodic reproduction. In this study, three methods were employed to address this challenge. Firstly, culture conditions were optimised to establish a balance between growth and reproduction. Secondly, a refined culture method was developed, which more than tripled growth of Ulva over an 18-day cultivation as compared to a standard method. Thirdly, a sterile strain was obtained by mutating a wild strain with ultraviolet radiation. This new strain grew five times faster over an 18-day cultivation and absorbed nitrate and phosphate 40.0% and 30.9% quicker compared to the wild strain respectively. The chemical composition of the sterile strain showed a lipid content of more than double that of the wild strain, while the protein content was 26.3% lower than the wild strain. Several tissue preservation techniques were developed to enable settlement and growth trials to be conducted on demand. The merits or otherwise of the preservation techniques were determined for gametes, germlings and thalli. In addition to cultivation-related techniques, the co-effects of climate change factors (global warming and ocean acidification) and eutrophication on Ulva cultivation were investigated. These three variables interacted in a complex pattern to differentially affect life history stages, as well as altering the chemical composition and functional properties of Ulva. These findings make tangible contributions to the ability to successfully and commercially cultivate Ulva in terms of culture conditions, tissue preservation and the development of mutant strains. Further, by placing Ulva culture in a climate change context, this work provides valuable insight into the limits to resilience of Ulva to a changing climate. This will inform the future development of the Ulva culture industry over the coming decades. i ii Acknowledgements I am very happy that I was able to complete this project within three years. But it would have been impossible to manage it without help from many people. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them. The first people I would like to acknowledge are my supervisors, Dr Gary Caldwell, Prof. Tony Clare, and Dr Craig Rose. It is you that brought me to Newcastle from China. It is you that inspired me when I got stuck in the experiments. It is you that improved my writing with perpetual patience. Your expertise and ethic in research have impressed me and would have a profound and lasting influence on my future career. Massive thanks should also be given to staff and colleagues in the School of Marine Science and Technology (MaST). I would like to say thank you to the technicians David Whitaker and Pete McParlin. Your excellent work tangibly facilitated the process of my research. I also want to express my appreciation of Dr Nicholas Aldred and Dr John Finlay. I hope that you were not annoyed by some stupid questions from me. Dr Sofia Cota Franco and Carol Barnett your enthusiastic help and sweet smiles often make me think of angels. Amanda Benson, Philippa Richard, Bita Sabbaghzadeh, Wahyu Nugraha, Adibi Md Nor, please forgive me that I cannot mention everyone in MaST here, I actually love you all. Special thanks should go to Dr Qingchun Zhang in the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who helped me identify the Ulva species, Eleni Chatzidimitriou who assisted me in analysing fatty acids in School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and Georgina Robinson for her support in statistical analysis. Life is always up and down just like the English weather. I am lucky to make some intimate friends in Newcastle. They are Serena Lim, Hongbin Zhang, Bill Gibson, Roger Darsley, HaiboYang, Danqing Feng, etc. You are my fortune because you blowed away cloud and brought over sunshine for me. This research would not have been possible without the financial support from MaST in Newcastle University. Last but not least, I would like to express my debt to my wife. You carry the burden of whole family with your tender shoulders. You take care of parents at both sides and raise our son up alone. Without your self-giving contribution and support, I could never have proceeded to my current position. I also owe a great deal to my Mum and Dad for their long-suffering support and endless encouragement! iii iv Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ............................................................................................................ xvi Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Physiology of Ulva .............................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 Life history of Ulva ....................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Settlement of Ulva swarmers ......................................................................... 3 1.1.3 Factors affecting germination ........................................................................ 4 1.1.4 Factors affecting growth and reproduction..................................................... 7 1.2 Cryopreservation of algae .................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 Freezing methodology ................................................................................... 7 1.3 Values of seaweed ............................................................................................. 10 1.3.1 Food ............................................................................................................ 10 1.3.2 Animal feed ................................................................................................ 14 1.3.3 Bioremediation ............................................................................................ 15 1.4 Ulva cultivation: history and methods ................................................................ 16 1.4.1 Open water cultivation ................................................................................ 18 1.4.2 Land based cultivation ................................................................................ 19 1.4.3 Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture ......................................................... 19 1.4.4 Advantages and disadvantages of Ulva cultivation ...................................... 20 1.5 Effects of ocean acidification and warming on seaweeds ................................... 22 1.5.1 Effects of ocean acidification on seaweeds .................................................. 22 1.5.2 Effects of ocean warming on seaweeds ........................................................ 23 1.5.3 Combined effects of ocean acidification and warming ................................. 25 1.6 Research aims and objectives............................................................................. 26 Chapter 2. Growth conditioning of Ulva rigida ........................................................... 27 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 27 2.1.1 Nitrate ......................................................................................................... 27 2.1.2 Light ........................................................................................................... 27 2.1.3 Temperature ................................................................................................ 28 2.1.4 Aeration ...................................................................................................... 28 2.1.5 Aims and objectives .................................................................................... 29 v 2.2 Materials and methods ....................................................................................... 29 2.2.1 Seaweed collection and identification .......................................................... 29 2.2.2 Seaweed culture under different light and nutrient levels ............................. 30 2.2.3 Seaweed culture under different temperatures ............................................. 31 2.2.4 Seaweed culture under different aeration conditions .................................... 31 2.2.5 Multiple harvests method ............................................................................ 31 2.2.6 Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake determination ..........................................
Recommended publications
  • Genetic Variation Within and Among Asexual Populations of Porphyra Umbilicalis Kützing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) in the Gulf of Maine, USA Renee L
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by UNH Scholars' Repository University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Research Institutes, Centers and Programs 1-13-2016 Genetic variation within and among asexual populations of Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) in the Gulf of Maine, USA Renee L. Eriksen University of New Hampshire, Durham Lindsay A. Green University of New Hampshire, Durham Anita S. Klein University of New Hampshire, Durham, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/nhaes Recommended Citation Renée L. Eriksen, Lindsay A. Green and Anita S. Klein. Genetic variation within and among asexual populations of Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) in the Gulf of Maine, USA. Botanica Marina 2016; 59(1): 1–12. https://dx.doi.org/ 10.1515/bot-2015-0017 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Research Institutes, Centers and Programs at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Botanica Marina 2016; 59(1): 1–12 Renée L. Eriksen*, Lindsay A. Green and Anita S. Klein Genetic variation within and among asexual populations of Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) in the Gulf of Maine, USA DOI 10.1515/bot-2015-0017 Received 16 February, 2015; accepted 8 December, 2015; online first Introduction 13 January, 2016 The marine red alga Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (Ban- Abstract: The intertidal marine red alga Porphyra umbili- giales, Rhodophyta) is found in the intertidal region on calis reproduces asexually in the Northwest Atlantic.
    [Show full text]
  • RED ALGAE · RHODOPHYTA Rhodophyta Are Cosmopolitan, Found from the Artic to the Tropics
    RED ALGAE · RHODOPHYTA Rhodophyta are cosmopolitan, found from the artic to the tropics. Although they grow in both marine and fresh water, 98% of the 6,500 species of red algae are marine. Most of these species occur in the tropics and sub-tropics, though the greatest number of species is temperate. Along the California coast, the species of red algae far outnumber the species of green and brown algae. In temperate regions such as California, red algae are common in the intertidal zone. In the tropics, however, they are mostly subtidal, growing as epiphytes on seagrasses, within the crevices of rock and coral reefs, or occasionally on dead coral or sand. In some tropical waters, red algae can be found as deep as 200 meters. Because of their unique accessory pigments (phycobiliproteins), the red algae are able to harvest the blue light that reaches deeper waters. Red algae are important economically in many parts of the world. For example, in Japan, the cultivation of Pyropia is a multibillion-dollar industry, used for nori and other algal products. Rhodophyta also provide valuable “gums” or colloidal agents for industrial and food applications. Two extremely important phycocolloids are agar (and the derivative agarose) and carrageenan. The Rhodophyta are the only algae which have “pit plugs” between cells in multicellular thalli. Though their true function is debated, pit plugs are thought to provide stability to the thallus. Also, the red algae are unique in that they have no flagellated stages, which enhance reproduction in other algae. Instead, red algae has a complex life cycle, with three distinct stages.
    [Show full text]
  • Red Algae (Bangia Atropurpurea) Ecological Risk Screening Summary
    Red Algae (Bangia atropurpurea) Ecological Risk Screening Summary U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, February 2014 Revised, March 2016, September 2017, October 2017 Web Version, 6/25/2018 1 Native Range and Status in the United States Native Range From NOAA and USGS (2016): “Bangia atropurpurea has a widespread amphi-Atlantic range, which includes the Atlantic coast of North America […]” Status in the United States From Mills et al. (1991): “This filamentous red alga native to the Atlantic Coast was observed in Lake Erie in 1964 (Lin and Blum 1977). After this sighting, records for Lake Ontario (Damann 1979), Lake Michigan (Weik 1977), Lake Simcoe (Jackson 1985) and Lake Huron (Sheath 1987) were reported. It has become a major species of the littoral flora of these lakes, generally occupying the littoral zone with Cladophora and Ulothrix (Blum 1982). Earliest records of this algae in the basin, however, go back to the 1940s when Smith and Moyle (1944) found the alga in Lake Superior tributaries. Matthews (1932) found the alga in Quaker Run in the Allegheny drainage basin. Smith and 1 Moyle’s records must have not resulted in spreading populations since the alga was not known in Lake Superior as of 1987. Kishler and Taft (1970) were the most recent workers to refer to the records of Smith and Moyle (1944) and Matthews (1932).” From NOAA and USGS (2016): “Established where recorded except in Lake Superior. The distribution in Lake Simcoe is limited (Jackson 1985).” From Kipp et al. (2017): “Bangia atropurpurea was first recorded from Lake Erie in 1964. During the 1960s–1980s, it was recorded from Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Simcoe (part of the Lake Ontario drainage).
    [Show full text]
  • Anne R Johnston Phd Thesis
    ;<>?3 ?3@@8393;@ 6; @53 6;;3> 530>623? 1/# *%%"&(%%- B6@5 ?=316/8 >343>3;13 @< @53 6?8/;2? <4 9A88! 1<88 /;2 @6>33 /OOG ># 7PJOSTPO / @JGSKS ?UDNKTTGF HPR TJG 2GIRGG PH =J2 CT TJG AOKVGRSKTY PH ?T# /OFRGWS &++& 4UMM NGTCFCTC HPR TJKS KTGN KS CVCKMCDMG KO >GSGCREJ.?T/OFRGWS,4UMM@GXT CT, JTTQ,$$RGSGCREJ"RGQPSKTPRY#ST"COFRGWS#CE#UL$ =MGCSG USG TJKS KFGOTKHKGR TP EKTG PR MKOL TP TJKS KTGN, JTTQ,$$JFM#JCOFMG#OGT$&%%'($'+)% @JKS KTGN KS QRPTGETGF DY PRKIKOCM EPQYRKIJT Norse settlement in the Inner Hebrides ca 800-1300 with special reference to the islands of Mull, Coll and Tiree A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Anne R Johnston Department of Mediaeval History University of St Andrews November 1990 IVDR E A" ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS None of this work would have been possible without the award of a studentship from the University of &Andrews. I am also grateful to the British Council for granting me a scholarship which enabled me to study at the Institute of History, University of Oslo and to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for financing an additional 3 months fieldwork in the Sunnmore Islands. My sincere thanks also go to Prof Ragni Piene who employed me on a part time basis thereby allowing me to spend an additional year in Oslo when I was without funding. In Norway I would like to thank Dr P S Anderson who acted as my supervisor. Thanks are likewise due to Dr H Kongsrud of the Norwegian State Archives and to Dr T Scmidt of the Place Name Institute, both of whom were generous with their time.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Cruise Directory Directory 2020 Cruise 2020 Cruise Directory M 18 C B Y 80 −−−−−−−−−−−−−−− 17 −−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
    2020 MAIN Cover Artwork.qxp_Layout 1 07/03/2019 16:16 Page 1 2020 Hebridean Princess Cruise Calendar SPRING page CONTENTS March 2nd A Taste of the Lower Clyde 4 nights 22 European River Cruises on board MS Royal Crown 6th Firth of Clyde Explorer 4 nights 24 10th Historic Houses and Castles of the Clyde 7 nights 26 The Hebridean difference 3 Private charters 17 17th Inlets and Islands of Argyll 7 nights 28 24th Highland and Island Discovery 7 nights 30 Genuinely fully-inclusive cruising 4-5 Belmond Royal Scotsman 17 31st Flavours of the Hebrides 7 nights 32 Discovering more with Scottish islands A-Z 18-21 Hebridean’s exceptional crew 6-7 April 7th Easter Explorer 7 nights 34 Cruise itineraries 22-97 Life on board 8-9 14th Springtime Surprise 7 nights 36 Cabins 98-107 21st Idyllic Outer Isles 7 nights 38 Dining and cuisine 10-11 28th Footloose through the Inner Sound 7 nights 40 Smooth start to your cruise 108-109 2020 Cruise DireCTOrY Going ashore 12-13 On board A-Z 111 May 5th Glorious Gardens of the West Coast 7 nights 42 Themed cruises 14 12th Western Isles Panorama 7 nights 44 Highlands and islands of scotland What you need to know 112 Enriching guest speakers 15 19th St Kilda and the Outer Isles 7 nights 46 Orkney, Northern ireland, isle of Man and Norway Cabin facilities 113 26th Western Isles Wildlife 7 nights 48 Knowledgeable guides 15 Deck plans 114 SuMMER Partnerships 16 June 2nd St Kilda & Scotland’s Remote Archipelagos 7 nights 50 9th Heart of the Hebrides 7 nights 52 16th Footloose to the Outer Isles 7 nights 54 HEBRIDEAN
    [Show full text]
  • Exhaustive Reanalysis of Barcode Sequences from Public
    Exhaustive reanalysis of barcode sequences from public repositories highlights ongoing misidentifications and impacts taxa diversity and distribution: a case study of the Sea Lettuce. Antoine Fort1, Marcus McHale1, Kevin Cascella2, Philippe Potin2, Marie-Mathilde Perrineau3, Philip Kerrison3, Elisabete da Costa4, Ricardo Calado4, Maria Domingues5, Isabel Costa Azevedo6, Isabel Sousa-Pinto6, Claire Gachon3, Adrie van der Werf7, Willem de Visser7, Johanna Beniers7, Henrice Jansen7, Michael Guiry1, and Ronan Sulpice1 1NUI Galway 2Station Biologique de Roscoff 3Scottish Association for Marine Science 4University of Aveiro 5Universidade de Aveiro 6University of Porto Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research 7Wageningen University & Research November 24, 2020 Abstract Sea Lettuce (Ulva spp.; Ulvophyceae, Ulvales, Ulvaceae) is an important ecological and economical entity, with a worldwide distribution and is a well-known source of near-shore blooms blighting many coastlines. Species of Ulva are frequently misiden- tified in public repositories, including herbaria and gene banks, making species identification based on traditional barcoding hazardous. We investigated the species distribution of 295 individual distromatic foliose strains from the North East Atlantic by traditional barcoding or next generation sequencing. We found seven distinct species, and compared our results with all worldwide Ulva spp sequences present in the NCBI database for the three barcodes rbcL, tuf A and the ITS1. Our results demonstrate a large degree of species misidentification in the NCBI database. We estimate that 21% of the entries pertaining to foliose species are misannotated. In the extreme case of U. lactuca, 65% of the entries are erroneously labelled specimens of another Ulva species, typically U. fenestrata. In addition, 30% of U.
    [Show full text]
  • Using a Macroalgal Functional Form Approach to Assess the Level of Disturbance of Seagrass Meadows in Bahía of Nuevitas, Cuba (2000-2002)
    American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2019, 10, 2020-2033 https://www.scirp.org/journal/ajps ISSN Online: 2158-2750 ISSN Print: 2158-2742 Using a Macroalgal Functional Form Approach to Assess the Level of Disturbance of Seagrass Meadows in Bahía of Nuevitas, Cuba (2000-2002) Rubén Cabrera1*, Jhoana Díaz-Larrea2, Schery Umanzor3, Laura Georgina Núñez García2 1Gabinete de Arqueologia,́ Oficina del Historiador de la Ciudad, Habana Vieja, Cuba 2Departamento de Hidrobiología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico 3Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT, USA How to cite this paper: Cabrera, R., Abstract Díaz-Larrea, J., Umanzor, S. and García, L.G.N. (2019) Using a Macroalgal Func- A study on the spatial and seasonal variations of the associate macroalgae and tional Form Approach to Assess the Level epiphytes of Thalassia testudinum was carried out in Bahía de Nuevitas. Six- of Disturbance of Seagrass Meadows in ty-two species were identified: 3 Cyanophyta, 25 Chlorophyta, 8 Phaeophy- Bahía of Nuevitas, Cuba (2000-2002). American Journal of Plant Sciences, 10, ceae, 23 Rhodophyta and 3 Magnoliophyta, with two new records for Cuba 2020-2033. and 43 for the area. The differences in the specific composition of the ma- https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2019.1011142 croalgae communities are determined by a space component related to the Received: October 10, 2019 type of affectation in each area. The morpho-functional groups of macroalgae Accepted: November 18, 2019 in the station with more nutrient influence were mainly foliaceous and fila- Published: November 21, 2019 mentous. In the stations far from the city, the predominant morpho-types were the leathery and articulate calcareous indicators of lower nitrification Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Kintour Landscape Survey Report
    DUN FHINN KILDALTON, ISLAY AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY DATA STRUCTURE REPORT May 2017 Roderick Regan Summary The survey of Dun Fhinn and its associated landscape has revealed a picture of an area extensively settled and utilised in the past dating from at least the Iron Age and very likely before. In the survey area we see settlements developing across the area from at least the 15 th century with a particular concentration of occupation on or near the terraces of the Kintour River. Without excavation or historical documentation dating these settlements is fraught with difficulty but the distinct differences between the structures at Ballore and Creagfinn likely reflect a chronological development between the pre-improvement and post-improvement settlements, the former perhaps a relatively rare well preserved survival. Ballore Kilmartin Museum Argyll, PA31 8RQ Tel: 01546 510 278 [email protected] Scottish Charity SC022744 ii Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Archaeological and Historical Background 2 2.1 Cartographic Evidence of Settlement 4 2.2 Some Settlement History 6 2.3 A Brief History of Landholding on Islay 10 3. Dun Fhinn 12 4. Walkover Survey Results 23 5. Discussion 47 6. References 48 Appendix 1: Canmore Extracts 50 The Survey Team iii 1. Introduction This report collates the results of the survey of Dun Fhinn and a walkover survey of the surrounding landscape. The survey work was undertaken as part of the Ardtalla Landscape Project a collaborative project between Kilmartin Museum and Reading University, which forms part of the wider Islay Heritage Project. The survey area is situated on the Ardtalla Estate within Kildalton parish in the south east of Islay (Figure 1) and survey work was undertaken in early April 2017.
    [Show full text]
  • Successions of Phytobenthos Species in a Mediterranean Transitional Water System: the Importance of Long Term Observations
    A peer-reviewed open-access journal Nature ConservationSuccessions 34: 217–246 of phytobenthos (2019) species in a Mediterranean transitional water system... 217 doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.34.30055 RESEARCH ARTICLE http://natureconservation.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation Successions of phytobenthos species in a Mediterranean transitional water system: the importance of long term observations Antonella Petrocelli1, Ester Cecere1, Fernando Rubino1 1 Water Research Institute (IRSA) – CNR, via Roma 3, 74123 Taranto, Italy Corresponding author: Antonella Petrocelli ([email protected]) Academic editor: A. Lugliè | Received 25 September 2018 | Accepted 28 February 2019 | Published 3 May 2019 http://zoobank.org/5D4206FB-8C06-49C8-9549-F08497EAA296 Citation: Petrocelli A, Cecere E, Rubino F (2019) Successions of phytobenthos species in a Mediterranean transitional water system: the importance of long term observations. In: Mazzocchi MG, Capotondi L, Freppaz M, Lugliè A, Campanaro A (Eds) Italian Long-Term Ecological Research for understanding ecosystem diversity and functioning. Case studies from aquatic, terrestrial and transitional domains. Nature Conservation 34: 217–246. https://doi.org/10.3897/ natureconservation.34.30055 Abstract The availability of quantitative long term datasets on the phytobenthic assemblages of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (southern Italy, Mediterranean Sea), a lagoon like semi-enclosed coastal basin included in the Italian LTER network, enabled careful analysis of changes occurring in the structure of the community over about thirty years. The total number of taxa differed over the years. Thirteen non-indigenous species in total were found, their number varied over the years, reaching its highest value in 2017. The dominant taxa differed over the years.
    [Show full text]
  • DNA Barcoding of the German Green Supralittoral Zone Indicates the Distribution and Phenotypic Plasticity of Blidingia Species and Reveals Blidingia Cornuta Sp
    TAXON 70 (2) • April 2021: 229–245 Steinhagen & al. • DNA barcoding of German Blidingia species SYSTEMATICS AND PHYLOGENY DNA barcoding of the German green supralittoral zone indicates the distribution and phenotypic plasticity of Blidingia species and reveals Blidingia cornuta sp. nov. Sophie Steinhagen,1,2 Luisa Düsedau1 & Florian Weinberger1 1 GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Ecology Department, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany 2 Department of Marine Sciences-Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, 452 96 Strömstad, Sweden Address for correspondence: Sophie Steinhagen, [email protected] DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12445 Abstract In temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, green algae of the genus Blidingia are a substantial and environment-shaping component of the upper and mid-supralittoral zones. However, taxonomic knowledge on these important green algae is still sparse. In the present study, the molecular diversity and distribution of Blidingia species in the German State of Schleswig-Holstein was examined for the first time, including Baltic Sea and Wadden Sea coasts and the off-shore island of Helgo- land (Heligoland). In total, three entities were delimited by DNA barcoding, and their respective distributions were verified (in decreasing order of abundance: Blidingia marginata, Blidingia cornuta sp. nov. and Blidingia minima). Our molecular data revealed strong taxonomic discrepancies with historical species concepts, which were mainly based on morphological and ontogenetic char- acters. Using a combination of molecular, morphological and ontogenetic approaches, we were able to disentangle previous mis- identifications of B. minima and demonstrate that the distribution of B. minima is more restricted than expected within the examined area.
    [Show full text]
  • New Records of Benthic Marine Algae and Cyanobacteria for Costa Rica, and a Comparison with Other Central American Countries
    Helgol Mar Res (2009) 63:219–229 DOI 10.1007/s10152-009-0151-1 ORIGINAL ARTICLE New records of benthic marine algae and Cyanobacteria for Costa Rica, and a comparison with other Central American countries Andrea Bernecker Æ Ingo S. Wehrtmann Received: 27 August 2008 / Revised: 19 February 2009 / Accepted: 20 February 2009 / Published online: 11 March 2009 Ó Springer-Verlag and AWI 2009 Abstract We present the results of an intensive sampling Rica; we discuss this result in relation to the emergence of program carried out from 2000 to 2007 along both coasts of the Central American Isthmus. Costa Rica, Central America. The presence of 44 species of benthic marine algae is reported for the first time for Costa Keywords Marine macroalgae Á Cyanobacteria Á Rica. Most of the new records are Rhodophyta (27 spp.), Costa Rica Á Central America followed by Chlorophyta (15 spp.), and Heterokontophyta, Phaeophycea (2 spp.). Overall, the currently known marine flora of Costa Rica is comprised of 446 benthic marine Introduction algae and 24 Cyanobacteria. This species number is an under estimation, and will increase when species of benthic The marine benthic flora plays an important role in the marine algae from taxonomic groups where only limited marine environment. It forms the basis of many marine information is available (e.g., microfilamentous benthic food chains and harbors an impressive variety of organ- marine algae, Cyanobacteria) are included. The Caribbean isms. Fish, decapods and mollusks are among the most coast harbors considerably more benthic marine algae (318 prominent species associated with the marine flora, which spp.) than the Pacific coast (190 spp.); such a trend has serves these animals as a refuge and for alimentation (Hay been observed in all neighboring countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Lateral Gene Transfer of Anion-Conducting Channelrhodopsins Between Green Algae and Giant Viruses
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.15.042127; this version posted April 23, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 5 Lateral gene transfer of anion-conducting channelrhodopsins between green algae and giant viruses Andrey Rozenberg 1,5, Johannes Oppermann 2,5, Jonas Wietek 2,3, Rodrigo Gaston Fernandez Lahore 2, Ruth-Anne Sandaa 4, Gunnar Bratbak 4, Peter Hegemann 2,6, and Oded 10 Béjà 1,6 1Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel. 2Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, Berlin 10115, Germany. 3Present address: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann 15 Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. 4Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway. 5These authors contributed equally: Andrey Rozenberg, Johannes Oppermann. 6These authors jointly supervised this work: Peter Hegemann, Oded Béjà. e-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected] 20 ABSTRACT Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are algal light-gated ion channels widely used as optogenetic tools for manipulating neuronal activity 1,2. Four ChR families are currently known. Green algal 3–5 and cryptophyte 6 cation-conducting ChRs (CCRs), cryptophyte anion-conducting ChRs (ACRs) 7, and the MerMAID ChRs 8. Here we 25 report the discovery of a new family of phylogenetically distinct ChRs encoded by marine giant viruses and acquired from their unicellular green algal prasinophyte hosts.
    [Show full text]