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Inhibition of marine coastal bloom-forming phytoplankton by commercially cultivated Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

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Abstract

While harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become a threat to fisheries, environmental and public health, and economies worldwide, most of the approaches under investigations for prevention, control, and mitigation (PCM) of HABs are limited by high cost and possible secondary pollution. This study reports our laboratory and field experiments demonstrating effective growth-inhibiting effects of the widely cultivated seaweed Gracilaria lemaneiformis on phytoplankton possibly forming HABs. Laboratory experiments demonstrated significant growth-inhibiting effects of fresh G. lemaneiformis thalli in a dose-response manner on four of six test microalgae commonly observed in the seaweed cultivation area (Scrippsiella trochoidea, Prorocentrum micans, Skeletonema costatum, Dunaliella salina) and on the natural phytoplankton assemblage in seawater. Significant inhibiting effects were also observed from in situ bottle (1.0 L) and mesocosm (50 and 1000 L) experiments on the harmful alga Phaeocystis globosa during its blooms. Based on a large-scale field survey, the phytoplankton abundance in the areas with Gracilaria cultivation was demonstrated to be significantly lower than that in the areas without Gracilaria. Collectively, our results showed that large-scale cultivation of G. lemaneiformis is an effective approach to prevent HABs in coastal waters, as an added value to the economically viable industry of Gracilaria cultivation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the project of the Department of Science and Technology of China (2012BAD18B01), Chinese Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201403008), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1301235, 41173079), and the Frontier Research Program in Marine Ecology of IOCAS (Y32331101Q). None of these sponsors had particular involvement or intention in the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the paper; and the decision to submit the article for publication. We are grateful to Prof. Weizhou Chen from Shantou University, China, for sharing data about the annual production of the seaweed G. lemaneiformis. We are also very grateful to the anonymous reviewers’ constructive comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China

    Yufeng Yang, Qing Liu & Zhaoyang Chai

  2. Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Control, Educational Department of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China

    Yufeng Yang, Qing Liu & Zhaoyang Chai

  3. Shenzhen Academy of Environmental Science, Shenzhen, 518002, Guangdong, China

    Qing Liu

  4. Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, China

    Yingzhong Tang

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  1. Yufeng Yang
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Yang, Y., Liu, Q., Chai, Z. et al. Inhibition of marine coastal bloom-forming phytoplankton by commercially cultivated Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta). J Appl Phycol 27, 2341–2352 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-014-0486-0

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