Effects of Environmental Factors on the Uptake Rates of Dissolved Nitrogen by a Salt-water Green Alga (Oocystis borgei Snow)

• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-012-0767-8
• Publication Date: 2012-08-29T12:08:22Z
• Authors: Xianghu Huang; Xiaoju Li; Yaqiong Wang; Meihua Zhou
• Keywords: Salinity; Light; Nitrogen; Temperature; Aquaculture; Environment; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; Chlorophyta; 13. Climate action; Seawater; Water Pollutants, Chemical; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Uptake rates for dissolved nitrogen (DN) by a marine alga (Oocystis borgei) were examined in a (15)N tracer experiment. Maximal uptake rates for all forms of DN were observed at temperatures between 25 and 30°C and at algal concentrations between 3.22 × 10(8) and 4.78 × 10(8 )cell L(-1). Light intensity required to achieve the maximal uptake rate was 45 μmol m(-2) s(-1) for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN = NO(3) (-), NO(2) (-), NH(4) (+)) and methionine, and 126 μmol m(-2) s(-1) for urea. Salinity required to achieve the maximal uptake rate was 12.85 ppt for DIN, 19.89 ppt for urea and 26.2 ppt for methionine.