Tetraselmis chui (PLY429) division rate and uptake of nitrate andphosphate at experimentally-varied pH

摘要

Mass cultures of phytoplankton are complex because growth is dependent upon a number of variables, including pH, light intensity, day length, nutrient availability, and temperature. In high-volume mass cultures of microalgae (e.g., 18,000-L tanks), at the NMFS Laboratory in Milford, a contaminating microalga can often be observed growing with Tetraselmis chui (PLY429--an algal strain used widely as an aquaculture feed) and can dominate the culture eventually. The succession of one algal species to another may be a consequence of differing light, nutrient, temperature, and pH requirements of the competing species. This study is the first part of an investigation on how pH can affect the succession of one algal species to another. The results presented focus on the effects that pH has on the growth of and uptake of nutrients by Tetraselmis chui (PLY429).