Abstract
Ten species of benthic diatoms from the Eems-Dollard estuary were cultured unialgally in synthetic media with various concentrations of ammonia (NH4 ++NH3), nitrite ion, nitrate ion and orthophosphate. Most of the species grew well in media with very high concentrations of nitrite ion (1 to 10 mg-at N l-1), nitrate ion (about 16.9 mg-at N l-1) and orthophosphate (at least 0.9 mg-at P l-1). Ammonia concentrations higher than 0.5 mg-at N l-1 inhibited growth of the cultures. The rate of photosynthesis of diatoms from the field and from cultures was also inhibited by 0.5 mg-at N l-1 of ammonia under certain conditions. Inhibition of photosynthesis by ammonia was strongly enhanced by high irradiance and high pH. It is most unlikely that nitrite ion, nitrate ion and orthophosphate attain concentrations high enough to be inhibitory in the field, but concentrations of ammonia may be high enough for inhibition to occur. However a clear relationship between sensitivity of the diatoms and their occurrence on more or less polluted mudflats was not found.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Admiraal, W.: Influence of light and temperature on the growth rate of estuarine benthic diatoms in culture. Mar. Biol. 39, 1–9 (1977a)
Admiraal, W.: Experiments with mixed populations of benthic estuarine diatoms in laboratory microecosystems. Botanica mar. (In press) (1977b)
—: Influence of various concentrations of orthophosphate on the division rate of an estuarine benthic diatom, Navicula arenaria, in culture. Mar. Biol. 42, 1–8 (1977c)
Byerrum, R.U. and A.A. Benson: Effect of ammonia on photosynthetic rate and photosynthate release by Amphidinium carterae (Dinophyceae) J. Phycol. 11, 449–452 (1975)
Carpenter, J.H.: New measurements of oxygen solubility. Limnol. Oceanogr. 11, 264–277 (1966)
Chu, S.P.: The influence of the mineral composition of the medium on the growth of planktonic algae. II. The influence of the concentration of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate phosphorus. J. Ecol. 31, 109–148 (1943)
Eaton, J.W. and B. Moss: The estimation of numbers and pigment content in epipelic algal populations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 11, 584–595 (1966)
Forsberg, C.: Phosphorus, a maximum factor in the growth of Characeae. Nature, Lond. 201, 517–518 (1964)
Guillard, R.R.L. and J.H. Ryther: Studies on marine planktonic diatoms. I. Cyclotella nana Hustedt and Detonula confervacea (Cleve) Gran. Can. J. Microbiol. 8, 229–239 (1962)
Helder, W.: The cycle of dissolved inorganic nitrogen compounds in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 8, 154–173 (1974)
Jonge, V.N. de and H. Postma: Phosphorus compounds in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 8, 139–153 (1974)
Kinne, O.: Biological consequences of ammonia accumulation. In: Marine ecology, Vol. 3. Cultivation, Part 1. pp 86–92. Ed. by O. Kinne. London: Wiley Interscience 1976
Kumar, H.D. and V. Sharma: Experimental studies on the uptake of mineral nutrients by algae from polluted habitats. Biochem. Physiol. Pfl. 166, 221–232 (1973)
Lee, J.J., M.E. McEnery, E.M. Kennedy and H. Rubin: A nutritional analysis of a sublittoral diatom assemblage epiphytic on Enteromorpha from a Long Island salt marsh. J. Phycol. 11, 14–49 (1975)
Lehman, J.T.: Ecological and nutritional studies on Dinobryon Ehrenb.: Seasonal periodicity and the phosphate toxicity problem. Limnol. Oceanogr. 21, 646–658 (1976)
Lorenzen, C.J.: Determination of chlorophyll and phaeopigments: spectrophotometric equations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12, 343–346 (1967)
Lund, J.W.G.: The ecology of the freshwater phytoplankton. Biol. Rev. 40, 231–293 (1965)
Natarajan, K.V.: Toxicity of ammonia to marine diatoms. J. Wat. Pollut. Control Fed. (Res. Suppl.) 42, 184–190 (1970)
Pintner, I.J. and L. Provasoli: Nutritional characteristics of some chrysomonads. In: Symposium on marine microbiology, pp 114–121. Ed. by C.H. Oppenheimer, Springfield: Thomas 1963
Provasoli, L. and J.J.A. McLaughlin: Limited heterotrophy of some photosynthetic dinoflagelates. In: Symposium on marine microbiology, pp 105–113. Ed. by C.H. Oppenheimer. Springfield: Thomas 1963
—— and M.R. Droop: The development of artificial media for marine algae. Arch. Mikrobiol. 25, 392–428 (1957)
Steeman Nielsen, E. and T. Rochon: The influence of extremely high concentrations of inorganic P at varying pH on the growth and photosynthesis of unicellular algae. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 61, 407–415 (1976)
Syrett, P.J.: Nitrogen assimilation. In: Physiology and biochemistry of alagae, pp 171–188. Ed. by R.A. Lewin. New York: Academic Press 1962
Van Raalte, C.D., I. Valiela and J.M. Teal: The effect of fertilization on the species composition of salt marsh diatoms. Wat. Res. 10, 1–4 (1976)
Warren, K.S.: Ammonia toxicity and pH. Nature, Lond. 195, 47–49 (1962)
Winkenbach, E., B.R. Grant and R.G.S. Bidwell: The effects of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia on photosynthetic carbon metabolism of Acetabularia chloroplast preparations compared with spinach chloroplasts and whole cells of Acetabularia and Dunaliela. Can. J. Bot. 50, 2545–2551 (1972)
Zgurovskaya, L.N. and N.G. Kustenko: Effect of different concentrations of nitrite nitrogen on photosynthesis, pigment accumulation and cell division in Sceletonema costatum (Grev.) Cl. Okeanologija, Mosk. 8, 830–834 (1968)
Zobell, C.E.: The assimilation of ammonium nitrogen by Nitzschia closterium and other marine phytoplankton. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 21, 517–522 (1935)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
Publication No. 11 of the project “Biological Research in the Eems Dollard Estuary”.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Admiraal, W. Tolerance of estuarine benthic diatoms to high concentrations of ammonia, nitrite ion, nitrate ion and orthophosphate. Mar. Biol. 43, 307–315 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396925
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396925