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Acclimation of the microalga Amphidinium carterae to different nitrogen sources: potential application in the treatment of marine aquaculture effluents

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Abstract

There is growing interest in finding microalgae species that efficiently convert dissolved nutrients contained in aquaculture effluents into highly valuable biomass. The different nitrogen forms that are present in aquaculture effluents are particularly concerning. This study demonstrated that the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae can acclimate to both combined and sole nitrogen sources such as nitrate, ammonium, and urea over a wide concentration range. As far as is known, it is the first time that a species of the genus Amphidinium has been successfully cultured with urea as the sole source of nitrogen. In the presence of 882 μM of nitrate, A. carterae tolerated urea concentrations up to 5000 μM. With respect to ammonium-N tolerance, it has been observed that it is lethal at concentrations higher than 441 μM. A robust laboratory experimental design was critical for accurately assessing this acclimation. Alternative N sources did not affect the production of high-value specific polyketide secondary metabolites from A. carterae, such as amphidinols, with an average concentration of 0.435 ± 0.038% biomass d.w. An analysis of the symbiotic microbial assemblages developed in a long-term A. carterae culture in an open raceway pond, and the fact that it is able to metabolize all three nitrogen sources simultaneously, supports the idea that this microalga has the potential to be successfully cultured with aquaculture effluents.

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Acknowledgments

The microalgae Amphidinium carterae Dn241 EHU was kindly donated by Dr. S. Seoane (Culture Collection of the Plant Biology and Ecology Department of the University of the Basque Country).

Funding

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTQ2014-55888-C3-02) and the European Regional Development Fund Program. Professor Alfredo Olivera-Gálvez is supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) through the aid grant PDE 203104/2017-0.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Research Centre CIAIMBITAL, University of Almería, 04120, Almería, Spain

    A. Molina-Miras, L. López-Rosales, M. C. Cerón-García, A. Sánchez-Mirón, F. García-Camacho & E. Molina-Grima

  2. Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco – UFRPE, Dois irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, CEP: 52171-900, Brazil

    A. Olivera-Gálvez

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  1. A. Molina-Miras
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  2. L. López-Rosales
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Correspondence to F. García-Camacho.

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Molina-Miras, A., López-Rosales, L., Cerón-García, M.C. et al. Acclimation of the microalga Amphidinium carterae to different nitrogen sources: potential application in the treatment of marine aquaculture effluents. J Appl Phycol 32, 1075–1094 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-020-02049-9

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