Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS22 Strategies To Reduce Mortality in Marine and Freshwater Phytoplankton

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 11:45:00 AM

Location: Acoma/Zuni/Tesuque

Fistarol, G, O, University of Kalmar - Dep. of Marine Sciences, Kalmar, Sweden, giovana.salomon@hik.se

Legrand, C, , University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden, Catherine.legrand@hik.se

Granéli, E, , University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden, Edna.Graneli@hik.se

EFFECT OF PRYMNESIUM PARVUM CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ON SUMMER BALTIC PLANKTON COMMUNITY

Blooms of the ichthyotoxic flagellate Prymnesium parvum (Prymnesiophyceae) have been recorded world-wide, causing economical and environmental damages. We investigated if P. parvum can have an effect on phytoplankton community through production of chemical compounds, allelopathy, thus influencing the plankton community structure. The effect of chemical compounds (CC) produced by P. parvum was studied on natural plankton community from which mesozooplankton (copepods) was removed. Cell-free filtrate was taken from P. parvum semi-continuous culture and added every second day to three bottles containing the natural community. The addition of cell-free filtrates of P. parvum decreased the growth and the biomass of the phytoplankton. Both dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria were affected, but were more resistant to CC than diatoms. C14 uptake by phytoplankton was also affected. Ciliates (potential grazers) were also killed by P. parvum CC, and the largest ciliates were more sensitive to CC than the smaller ones. The production of chemical compounds by P. parvum is a relevant process, which allows the species to outcompete the others (allelopathy), and eliminate potential grazers.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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