Abstract
The content of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates and the calorific contents in six Antarctic and three south Chilean brown algae were determined. These constitute the first reports of chemical composition in the endemic Antarctic species Cystosphaera jacquinotii, Phaeurus antarcticus and Desmarestia antarctica. There were no marked differences in total energy levels between Antarctic and cold-temperate species (values between 10.6 and 13 kJ g−1 dry weight). However, species such as Adenocystis utricularis showed significantly higher ash-free energy (26.3 kJ), which is explained in terms of morpho-functional differentiation. Ascoseira mirabilis and Phaeurus antarcticus showed high total lipids (2.1–2.2% dry weight) and soluble carbohydrates (5.9 and 3.4% dry weight). In general, algae from Chile had similar energy levels and no obvious differences in organic content could be found.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cameron MC, Ross AG, Percival EGV (1948) Methods for the routine estimation of mannitol, alginic acid and combined fucose in seaweeds. J Soc Chem Ind London 67:161–164
Chapman ARO, Craigie JS (1977) Seasonal growth in Laminaria longicruris: relations with dissolved inorganic nutrients and internal reserves of nitrogen. Mar Biol 40:197–205
Clayton MN (1984) Evolution of the Phaeophyta with particular reference to the Fucales. Prog Phycol Res 3:1–45
Clayton MN (1988) Evolution and life histories of brown algae. Bot Mar 31:379–397
Czerpak R, Mical A, Gutkowski R, Siegen F, Jackiewick I (1981) Chemism of some species of Antarctic macroalgae of the genera Adenocystis, Himantothallus, Leptosomia and Monostroma. Pol Polar Res 2:95–107
Dawes CJ, Lawrence JM, Cheney DP, Mathieson AC (1974) Ecological studies of Floridean Euchema (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales). III. Seasonal variation of carrageenan, total carbohydrate, protein and lipid. Bull Mar Sci 24:286–299
Dhargalkar VK, Reddy CRK, Deshmukhe GV (1987) Biochemical composition of some benthic marine algae of the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Indian J Mar Sci 16:269–271
Drew EA, Hastings RM (1992) A year-round ecophysiological study of Himantothallus grandifolius (Desmarestiales, Phaeophyta) at Signy Island, Antarctica. Phycologia 31:262–277
Dubois M, Guilles K, Hamilton J, Roberts P, Smith F (1956) Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal Chem 28:350–356
Dunton KH, Jodwalis CM (1988) Photosynthetic performance of Laminaria solidungula measured in situ in the Alaskan High Arctic. Mar Biol 98:277–285
Edgard GJ (1986) Biogeographical processes in the southern hemisphere marine environment. In: Westermeier R (ed) Actas II Congr Algas Mar Chilenas Universidad Austral Dechile, pp 29–46
Espinoza S, Matsuhiro B (1992) Hidratos de carbono en algas pardas de la Antártica. Ser Cient Inst Antart Chil 42:61–68
Finch P, Percival EE, Sleiding IR, Weigel H (1986) Carbohydrates of the Antarctic brown seaweed Ascoseira mirabilis. Phytochemistry 25:443–448
Gómez I, Wiencke C, Weykam G (1995) Seasonal photosynthetic characteristics of Ascoseira mirabilis (Ascoseirales, Phaeophyceae) from King George Island, Antarctica. Mar Biol 123:167–172
Gordon AL, Mollinelli EM (1982) Southern Ocean Atlas: therhaline and chemical distribution and the Atlas data set. Columbia University Press, New York
Himmelman JH, Carefoot TH (1975) Seasonal changes in caloric value of three Pacific coast seaweeds, and their significance to some marine invertebrate hervibores. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 18:139–151
Klöser H, Mercuri G, Laturnus F, Quartino ML, Wiencke C (1994) On the competitive balance of macroalgae at Potter Cove (King George Island, South Shetlands). Polar Biol 14:11–16
Knox GA (1979) Distribution pattern of southern hemisphere marine biotas: some comment on their origin and evolution. Proc Int Symp Marine Biogeography and Evolution in the southern Hemisphere DSIR. Vol I, No 137 Inf. Ser.
Küppers U, Kremer BP (1978) Longitudinal profiles of carbon dioxide fixation capacities in marine macroalgae. Plant Physical 62:49–53
Lamb IM, Zimmermann MH (1977) Benthic marine algae of the Antarctic Peninsula. Antarct Res Ser 23:129–229
Lawrence JM (1986) Proximate composition and standing crop of Durvillaea antarctica (Phaeophyta) in the Bay of Morbihan, Kerguelen (South Indian Ocean). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 33:1–5
Lawrence JM, McClintock JB (1988) Allocation of organic material and energy to the holdfast, stipe, and fronds in Postelsia palmaeformis (Phaeophyta: Laminariales) on the California coast. Mar Biol 99:151–155
Laws EA (1991) Photosynthetic quotients, new production and net community production in the open ocean. Deep Sea Res 38:143–167
Lawson GW (1988) Seaweed distribution pattern as revealed by ordination with reference to the Atlantic and southern oceans. Helgol Wiss Meeresunters 42:187–197
Littler MM, Littler DS (1980) The evolution of thallus form and survival strategies in benthic macroalgae: field and laboratory test of a functional form model. Am Nat 116:25–43
Lüning K, Schmitz K, Willembrink K (1973) CO2 fixation and translocation in benthic marine algae. III. Rates and ecological significance of translocation in Laminaria hyperborea and L. saccharina. Mar Biol 23:275–281
Mann KH (1972) Ecological energetic of the seaweed zone in a marine bay on the Atlantic coast of Canada. I zonation and biomass of seaweeds. Mar Biol 12:1–10
McClintock JB (1986) On estimating energetic values of prey: implications in optimal diet model. Oecologia (Berlin) 70:161–162
McQuaid CD (1985) Seasonal variation in the ash-free calorific value of nine intertidal algae. Bot Mar 28:545–548
Moe RL, Silva PC (1981) Morphology and taxonomy of Himan-tothallus (including Phaeoglossum and Phyllogigas), an Antarctic member of the Desmarestiales (Phaeophyceae). J Phycol 17:15–29
Müller DG (1984) Culture studies on the life history of Adenocystis utricularis (Pheophyceae, Dictyosiphonales). Phycologia 23:87–94
Paine RT, Vadas RL (1969) Calorific values of benthic marine algae and their postulated relation to invertebrate food preference. Mar Biol 4:79–86
Ragan MA (1981) Chemical constituents of seaweeds. In: Lobban CS, Wynne MJ (eds) The biology of seaweeds. University of California Press. Berkeley, pp 589–626
Reed RH, Davison IR, Chudek JA, Foster R (1985) The osmotic role of mannitol in the Phaeophyta: an appraisal. Phycologia 24:35–47
Richarson MG (1977) The ecology (including physiological aspects) of selected marine invertebrates associated with inshore macrophytes. PhD thesis, University Durham, USA
Richarson MG (1979) The distribution of the Antarctic marine macro-algae related to depth and substrate. Br Antarct Surv Bull 49:1–13
Roughan PG (1985) Phosphatidylglycerol and chilling sensitivity in plants. Plant Physiol 77:740–746
Santelices B (1980) Phytogeographic characterization of the temperate coast of Pacific South America. Phycologia 19:1–12
Santelices B (1989) Algas Marinas de Chile. Ediciones Universidad Catòlica de Chile
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry, II edn. Freeman, San Francisco
Thomas DN, Wiencke C (1991) Photosynthesis, dark respiration and light independent carbon fixation of endemic Antarctic macroalgae. Polar Biol 11:329–337
Westermeier R (1982) Zonierung, Biomasse, Energiegehalt und Schwermetall-Akumulation mariner Algen aus Chile, Helgoland und Spanien. PhD thesis, Justus-Liebig University, Gießen
Westermeier R, Gómez I, Rivera PJ, Mller DG (1992) Macroalgas marinas antárticas: distribución, abundancia y necromasa en Isla Rey Jorge, Shetland del Sur, Antártica. Ser Cient Inst Antart Chil 42:21–34
Wiencke C (1990) Seasonality of brown macroalgae from Antarctica: a long-term culture study under fluctuating Antarctic day lengths. Polar Biol 10:589–600
Wiencke C, Clayton MN (1990) Sexual reproduction, life history, and early development in culture of the Antarctic brown alga Himantothallus grandifolius (Desmarestiales, Phaeophyceae). Phycologia 29:9–18
Wiencke C, Fischer G (1990) Growth and stable carbon isotope composition of cold-water macroalgae in relation to light and temperature. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 65:283–292
Wiencke C, tom Dieck I (1989) Temperature requirements for growth and temperature tolerance of macroalgae endemic to the Antarctic region. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 54:189–197
Wiencke C, tom Dieck I (1990) Temperature requirements for growth and survival of macroalgae from Antarctica and southern Chile. Mar Ecol prog Ser 59:157–170
Wiencke C, Rhamel J, Karsten U, Weykam G, Kirst GO (1993) Photosynthesis of marine macroalgae from Antarctica: light and temperature requirements. Bot Acta 106:78–87
Zar J (1974) Biostatistical analysis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Zielinski K (1981) Benthic macroalgae of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands) and circulation of algal matter between water and shore. Pol Polar Res 2:71–94
Zimmermann RC (1986) In situ growth and chemical composition of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Response to temporal changes in ambient nutrient availability. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 27:277–285
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gómez, I., Westermeier, R. Energy contents and organic constituents in Antarctic and south Chilean marine brown algae. Polar Biol 15, 597–602 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239653
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239653