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Evaluation of the bioremediatory potential of several species of the red alga Porphyra using short-term measurements of nitrogen uptake as a rapid bioassay

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Abstract

Rates of inorganic nitrogen uptake by three Northeast US and three Asian species of Porphyra were compared in short-term incubations to evaluate potential for longer term and larger scale examination of bioremediation of nutrient-loaded effluents from finfish aquaculture facilities. The effects of nitrogen (N) species and concentration, temperature, acclimation history, and irradiance were investigated. Uptake rates increased ca. nine-fold from 20 to 150 μM N. Nitrate and ammonium uptake occurred at similar rates. Irradiance had a strong effect, with uptake at 40 μmol photons m−2 s−1only 55% of uptake at 150 μmol photons m−2 s−1. N-replete tissue took up inorganic nitrogen at rates that averaged only 60% of nutrient-deprived tissue. Although there were species (P. amplissima > (P. purpurea = P. umbilicalis)) and temperature effects (10 °C>5 °C>15 °C), interactions among factors indicated that individual species be considered separately. Overall, P. amplissima was the best Northeast US candidate. It took up ammonium at faster rates than other local species at 10 and 15 °C, two temperatures that fall within the expected range of industrial conditions for finfish operations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, SUNY Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY, USA

    George P. Kraemer

  2. Departmento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus de Teatinos Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    Raquel Carmona

  3. Centre for Coastal Studies and Aquaculture and Centre for Environmental and Molecular Algal Research, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, E2L4L5, Canada

    Thierry Chopin

  4. Department of Plant Biology, University of New Hampshire, 8 College Road, G32 Spaulding, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA

    Christopher Neefus

  5. College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University, Qingdao, 26600, PR China

    Xiaorong Tang

  6. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT, 06901-2315, USA

    Charles Yarish

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  1. George P. Kraemer
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  2. Raquel Carmona
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  3. Thierry Chopin
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  4. Christopher Neefus
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  5. Xiaorong Tang
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  6. Charles Yarish
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Correspondence to George P. Kraemer.

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Kraemer, G.P., Carmona, R., Chopin, T. et al. Evaluation of the bioremediatory potential of several species of the red alga Porphyra using short-term measurements of nitrogen uptake as a rapid bioassay. J Appl Phycol 16, 489–497 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-004-5511-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-004-5511-2

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