Ulva rigida (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) tank culture as biofilters for dissolved inorganic nitrogen from fishpond effluents

Abstract

Ulva rigida was cultivated in 7501 tanks at different densities with direct and continuous inflow (at 2, 4, 8 and 12 volumes d⁻¹) of the effluents from a commercial marine fishpond (40 metric tonnes, Tm, of Sparus aurata, water exchange rate of 16 m³ Tm⁻¹) in order to assess the maximum and optimum dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) uptake rate and the annual stability of the ‘Ulva tank biofiltering system’. Maximum yields (40 g DW m⁻² d⁻¹) were obtained at a density of 2.5 g FW 1⁻¹ and at a DIN inflow rate of 1.7 g DIN m⁻² d⁻¹. Maximum DIN uptake rates were obtained during summer (2.2 g DIN M⁻² d⁻¹), and minimum in winter (1.1 g DIN m⁻² d⁻¹) with a yearly average DIN uptake rate of 1.77 g DIN m⁻² d⁻¹ At yearly average DIN removal efficiency (2.0 g DIN m⁻² d⁻¹, if winter period is excluded), 153 m² of Ulva tank surface would be needed to recover 100% of the DIN produced by 1 Tm of fish.