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Teichberg M, Fox SE, Olsen YS, Valiela I, Martinetto P, Iribarne O, Muto EY, Petti MAV, Corbisier TN, Soto-Jiménez M, Páez-Osuna F, Castro P, Freitas H, Zitelli A, Cardinaletti M, Tagliapietra D. Eutrophication and macroalgal blooms in temperate and tropical coastal waters: nutrient enrichment experiments with Ulva spp. Glob Chang Biol 2010; 16:2624-2637. [PMCID: PMC3627300 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02108.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2009] [Revised: 09/28/2009] [Accepted: 10/05/2009] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Receiving coastal waters and estuaries are among the most nutrient-enriched environments on earth, and one of the symptoms of the resulting eutrophication is the proliferation of opportunistic, fast-growing marine seaweeds. Here, we used a widespread macroalga often involved in blooms, Ulva spp., to investigate how supply of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), the two main potential growth-limiting nutrients, influence macroalgal growth in temperate and tropical coastal waters ranging from low- to high-nutrient supplies. We carried out N and P enrichment field experiments on Ulva spp. in seven coastal systems, with one of these systems represented by three different subestuaries, for a total of nine sites. We showed that rate of growth of Ulva spp. was directly correlated to annual dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations, where growth increased with increasing DIN concentration. Internal N pools of macroalgal fronds were also linked to increased DIN supply, and algal growth rates were tightly coupled to these internal N pools. The increases in DIN appeared to be related to greater inputs of wastewater to these coastal waters as indicated by high δ15N signatures of the algae as DIN increased. N and P enrichment experiments showed that rate of macroalgal growth was controlled by supply of DIN where ambient DIN concentrations were low, and by P where DIN concentrations were higher, regardless of latitude or geographic setting. These results suggest that understanding the basis for macroalgal blooms, and management of these harmful phenomena, will require information as to nutrient sources, and actions to reduce supply of N and P in coastal waters concerned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirta Teichberg
- Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine TropenökologieFahrenheitstrasse 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Sophia E Fox
- Marine Biological Laboratory, The Ecosystems Center7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Ylva S Olsen
- School of Ocean Sciences, University of BangorWales, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Ivan Valiela
- Marine Biological Laboratory, The Ecosystems Center7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Paulina Martinetto
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del PlataCC573 Correo Central, Mar del Plata B7600WAG, Argentina
| | - Oscar Iribarne
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del PlataCC573 Correo Central, Mar del Plata B7600WAG, Argentina
| | - Elizabeti Yuriko Muto
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São PauloPraça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Monica A V Petti
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São PauloPraça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thaïs N Corbisier
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São PauloPraça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Martín Soto-Jiménez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MexicoApartado Postal 811, Mazatlan 82040, Mexico
| | - Federico Páez-Osuna
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MexicoApartado Postal 811, Mazatlan 82040, Mexico
| | - Paula Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Botany, University of Coimbra3000 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Helena Freitas
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Botany, University of Coimbra3000 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | - Davide Tagliapietra
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR)Riva 7 Martiri, 1364/a, 30122 Venice, Italy
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