Abstract
For the last 2 years, vast accumulations of the unattached filamentous green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera, have occurred during summer along the coastal region of the Yellow Sea, China. However, algae do not seem to occur after the end of the fertile season. It has been suggested that banks of microscopic forms of the algae, primarily spores, function as a survival mechanism for this opportunistic alga. Therefore, in this study, field surveys and laboratory cultures were conducted to determine if somatic cells were serving as a propagule bank to enable the algae to survive through periods of unfavorable conditions. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that somatic regeneration was one of the most important approaches by which E. prolifera colonized and flourished in the study area. Indeed, at least 19.32% of somatic cells from the filamentous segments could survive for 2 months under various temperatures (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30°C at an irradiance of 60 µmol photons m−2 s−1) and irradiances (darkness, 5 10, 15, 20 and 30 µmol photons m−2 s−1 at a temperature of 20°C). Additionally, greater than 35.85% of the somatic cells could survive at 0°C or in darkness for 2 months, and no less than 15.99% of these cells resumed growth when the temperature and irradiance were adjusted to the normal levels (20°C and 60 µmol photons m−2 s−1). Furthermore, the results of field surveys revealed that viable E. prolifera was widespread in high quantities in the sediment of the Yellow Sea when the macroalga was absent. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that somatic cells may act as an overwintering stage for the annual spring bloom of E. prolifera. These findings should be useful in future studies conducted to behavior of somatic cells in green tide as well as in the management of future spring blooms of E. prolifera.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40706050, 40706048 and 30700619), the National Science & Technology Pillar Program (2006BAD01A13, 2008BAC49B04), Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology plan project (08-1-7-6-hy) and the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program (863) of China (2006AA10Z414).
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Zhang, X., Wang, H., Mao, Y. et al. Somatic cells serve as a potential propagule bank of Enteromorpha prolifera forming a green tide in the Yellow Sea, China. J Appl Phycol 22, 173–180 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-009-9437-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-009-9437-6