Photosynthetic responses of ‘Neosiphonia sp. epiphyte-infected’ and healthy Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta) to irradiance, salinity and pH variations
Abstract
Understanding the physiological condition of seaweeds as influenced by biotic and abiotic stress is vital from the perspective of massive expansion and sustainability of seaweed-based industries. The photosynthetic responses ofNeosiphonia sp. epiphyte-infected (INF) and healthy (HEA) Kappaphycus alvarezii under various combinations of irradiance, salinity and pH were studied using photosynthesis-irradiance (P-E) curves. Measurements of algal photosynthetic rates, expressed in terms of amount of oxygen production per fresh weight biomass per unit time (mg O2 g−1 FW h−1), were carried out using the light-dark bottle technique. Neosiphonia-infected K. alvarezii (INF) had lower photosynthetic rates than healthy ones (HEA). Similarities (p > 0.05) in light-saturated photosynthesis rates (Pmax) and significant differences (p < 0.05) in initial slope of curve (α) between INF and HEAK. alvarezii suggest that both samples are adapted to similar light conditions and differs only on photosynthetic efficiency. Low Pmax (0.7–2.0 mg O2 g−1 FW h−1) and high initial saturation irradiances (Ek = 90–519 μmol photons m−2 s−1) of INF seaweeds resulted to their low photosynthetic efficiency (α = 0.002–0.010). Such decline in α is attributed to the epiphyte, as Neosiphonia sp. covered almost the entire surface of K. alvarezii. An increase in chlorophyll-a (35–42.1 vs. 27.7–31.5 μg g−1 FW, HEA) and phycobilin (1.96–2.39 vs. 1.16–1.58 mg g−1 FW, HEA) contents was also observed in INF samples, suggesting acclimation to low-irradiance conditions, as a result of competition for light between the epiphyte and host. Both INF and HEA K. alvarezii also exhibited broad photosynthetic tolerance to short-term changes in irradiance, with no photoinhibition at the highest irradiance of 850 μmol photons m−2 s−1. K. alvarezii had a euryhaline photosynthetic response, with optimum salinity of 35 psu. Photosynthetic rates increased with decreasing pH, revealing K. alvarezii’s ability to modify its photosynthetic affinity for acidic seawater conditions; yet, their underlying mechanism of response to pH shifts still need to be further examined.
Citation
Borlongan, I. A. G., Luhan, M. R. J., Padilla, P. I. P., & Hurtado, A. Q. (2016). Photosynthetic responses of ‘Neosiphonia sp. epiphyte-infected’ and healthy Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta) to irradiance, salinity and pH variations.Publisher
Springer VerlagSubject
Acknowledgment/Sponsorship
This research was funded in part by the University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV) through the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension and Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department. This research was the thesis submitted by the first author in fulfilment of her degree in Master of Science in Biology at UPV.
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-Journal of Applied Phycology , 2008 - Springer VerlagHigh density commercial farming of carrageenophyte Kappaphycus alvarezii is often plagued with “ice-ice” disease and epiphyte infection, which eventually leads to reduced production and in some cases collapse of crop. Epiphyte outbreak has been occurring regularly in major carrageenophyte farms in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tanzania. Infected materials from these countries were studied to establish baseline information on the epiphyte’s identity, density, symptoms and secondary infection on the host seaweed. The causative organism was identified as Neosiphonia apiculata (Hollenberg) Masuda et Kogame, based on its morphological features. Epiphyte density on host seaweed materials decreased in the following order: the Philippines (88.5 epi cm-2), Tanzania (69.0 epi cm-2), Indonesia (56.5 epi cm-2) and Malaysia (42.0 epi cm-2). Initial symptoms were the presence of tiny black spots, indicating the embedded tetrasporeling in seaweed cortex layer. Vegetative form emerged after 2 weeks measuring less than 0.5 mm in length with a density of less than 25.0 epi cm-2. Upon maturation, infected seaweed takes on a “hairy” appearance with “goose-bumps” like cortical swellings. The epiphyte appears as a solitary plant with multiple secondary rhizoids or as multiple epiphytes appearing from a single cortical opening. At the end of infection, the epiphytes left dark pits on the cortical swelling, and the carrageenophytes are infected by opportunistic bacteria. Bacterial enumeration of healthy and infected seaweed materials showed an increase of more than 300% in total bacterial count on infected materials dominated by Alteromonas sp., Flavobacterium sp. and Vibrio sp. -
Article
A preliminary summary on Kappaphycus farming and the impact of epiphytes
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Article
Occurrence of Polysiphonia epiphytes in Kappaphycus farms at Calaguas Is., Camarines Norte, Phillippines
-Journal of Applied Phycology , 2006 - Springer VerlagThis paper describes the occurrence of an epiphyte infestation of Kappaphycus farms in Calaguas Is. Camarines Norte, Philippines. In particular, percentage cover of ‘goose bump’-Polysiphonia and ‘ice-ice’ disease, and some environmental parameters that influence the thallus condition of Kappaphycus alvarezii in Calaguas Is. were assessed during 3 separate visits and are discussed. Commercial cultivation of Kappaphycus at Calaguas Is. began in the early 1990s. After five years of farming, the stock was destroyed by a strong typhoon. The area was re-planted the following year and production increased annually and reached its peak in 1998–1999. However, the following year, the first occurrence of a Polysiphonia epiphyte infestation occurred concurrently with an ‘ice-ice’ disease. Consequently, annual production and the number of seaweed planters declined rapidly, and this situation persists to the present time. This paper highlights the etiological factors and their consequences. Results show that farm-site selection is critical for the success of Kappaphycus production. Characteristics of water movement and light intensity in farming areas contributed to the occurrence and detrimental effect of the phenomenon described as ‘goose bumps’: a morphological distortion of the host seaweed due to the presence of a Polysiphonia sp. epiphyte. A strong inverse correlation was observed between the occurrence of Polysiphonia and water movement: areas with low water motion registered a higher % cover (65%) of Polysiphonia than those in more exposed areas (17%). Although ‘goose bump’-Polysiphonia infestation and ‘ice-ice’ disease pose a tremendous problem to the seaweed farmers, the results of this limited assessment provide a useful baseline for future work.
