Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (5): 55-61.doi: 10.11978/2015158CSTR: 32234.14.2015158

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of temperature on the growth and carbohydrate production of Gambierdiscus pacificus

WU Zhen1, ZHANG Hua1, CEN Jingyi1, LI Li1, CHAO Aimin2, LÜ Songhui1   

  1. 1. Research Center for Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China;; 2. Ecological Monitoring & Appraisal Ins., Zhejiang Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou 310015, China
  • Received:2015-12-29 Online:2016-08-29 Published:2016-09-22
  • Contact: Corresponding author: LÜ Songhui. E-mail: lusonghui1963@163.com
  • Supported by:
    Foundation item: National Nature Science Foundation (31372535, 41576162); Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Project (2016A030303012); Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Special Promotion (A201501D08)

Abstract: Our study mainly focused on the growth photosynthetic characteristics and carbohydrate production of a strain of Gambierdiscus pacificus from Hainan Island under five temperature settings. G. pacificus could survive under temperatures from 20℃ to 35℃. At 15℃, G. pacificus cells could not survive and would die in a short time. The specific growth rate was found to be highest at 25℃ (0.40 d-1) and the largest cell concentration occurred at 30℃ (5625 cells•mL-1). G. pacificus had different lengths of life cycle under different temperatures. It could survive for 34, 34 and 25 days at 25℃, 30℃ and 35℃, respectively, while the length of its life cycle at 20℃ could be as long as 55 days. The highest Fv/Fm (maximal quantum yield of PSII) value of G. pacificus was 0.75, which was found at 25℃, but the value kept declining at its limiting temperature of 15℃. Through measuring the carbohydrate yield of G. pacificus at its tolerable temperatures, we found that the cell carbohydrate production of G. pacificus was the highest at the temperature range that was suboptimal for cell growth. The non-attached carbohydrate yield were always higher than attached carbohydrate yield in every temperature and growth phase in our study and carbohydrate concentration was statistically higher during the decaying phase compared to that of the stationary phase. Since temperature is an important ecological factor, studying temperature requirements of G. pacificus is of great significance to grasp its growth characteristics and predict the scope of its general distribution.

Key words: Gambierdiscus pacificus, growth rate, biomass, photosynthesis characteristics, carbohydrate production