Abstract
The cause of red tides appearing in neritic waters in Japan have been discussed by several workers in relation to the development of eutrophication. The author has been engaged in marine environmental studies on outbreaks of red tides, mainly, in the Seto Inland Sea since 1964 using a combination of the following approaches:
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(1)
surveys of the red tides that have occurred,
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(2)
elucidation of the oceanographical and biological characters of the water areas where red tides occur,
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(3)
isolation of the red tide organisms for physiological studies of their growth,
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(4)
chemical and biological assays of the growth promoting factors, and
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(5)
estimation of the effects of pollutants on the growth of the red tide organisms.
The red tide organisms surveyed wereEutreptiella sp. (Euglenophyceae),Dictyocha fibura (Chrysophyceae),Chattonella marina, C. antiqua, Fibrocapsa japonica, Heterosigma akashiwo (Chloromonadophyceae),Prorocentrum minimum, P. triestinum, Gymnodinium mikimotoi, G. nelsoni, Gymnodinium type '65,Noctiluca miliaris, Protogonyaulax catenella, Gonyaulax polygramma, Peridinium quinquecorne (Dinophyceae) andMesodinium rubrum (Ciliata). Most of these species were isolated and cultured for physiological studies.
Algal growth potential in sea water was assayed in Hiuchi Nada and Beppu Bay. Growth promoting activity was found in sea water about 2km off shore from the industrial zone which locates along the coast of Beppu Bay.
The effects of industrial wastes were examined forEutreptiella sp.,Heterosigma akashiwo andProrocentrum triestinum. Sulfite pulp waste caused marked promotion of growth in these organisms. The growth promoting activity of the waste was elucidated by chelation of the waste with iron. After the oil spill which occurred at Mizushima Bay in 1974, a heavy red tide ofNoctiluca miliaris appeared, followed byProrocentrum minimum. Polycyclic and polar fractions in heavy oil separated by chromatography were suspected to be the growth promoting substances. Natural growth promoting chemicals, uracil and thymine, were found in interstitial water of bottom mud of Beppu Bay in concentrations of 58–120, and 28–83ώg per 100 g dry mud, respectively.
The mechanism of fish kills caused by red tides was another subject of study.
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Okaichi, T. Marine environmental studies on outbreaks of red tides in neritic waters. Journal of the Oceanographical Society of Japan 39, 267–278 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02070397
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02070397