Abstract
The relative effects of NH +4 (N) and PO 3-4 (P) on growth rate, photosynthetic capacity (Pmax), and levels of chemical constituents of the red macroalga Gracilaria tikvahiae McLachlan were assayed during winter and summer, 1983 in inshore waters of the Florida Keys by using in-situ cage cultures. During winter, both N and P enrichment enhanced growth over that of ambient seawater; however, P rather than N accounted for more (60%) of the increased winter growth. During summer, P, but not N, enhanced growth over ambient seawater and accounted for 80% of increased growth. Similarly, Pmax was enhanced by both P and N during winter (but mostly by P) and only by P during summer. Elevated C:P, C:N and N:P ratios of G. tikvahiae tissue during winter, but only C:P and N:P ratios during summer, support the pattern of winter N and P limitation and summer P-limitation. This seasonal pattern of N vs P limited growth of G. tikvahiae appears to be a response to seasonally variable dissolved inorganic N (twofold greater concentrations of NH +4 and NO -3 during summer compared to winter) and constantly low to undetectable concentrations of PO 3-4 . Mean C:P and N:P ratios of G. tikvahiae tissue during the study were 1 818 and 124, respectively, values among the highest reported for macroalgae.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature cited
Atkinson, L. P., P. G. O'Malley, J. A. Yoder and G.-A. Paffenhöfer: The effects of summertime shelf break upwelling on nutrient flux in southeastern United States continental shelf waters. J. mar. Res. 42, 969–993 (1984)
Atkinson, M. J. and S. V. Smith: C:N:P ratios of benthic marine plants. Limnol. Oceanogr. 28, 568–574 (1983)
Berner, R. A.: Kinetic models for the early diagenesis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon in anoxic marine sediments, vol. 5, pp 427–449. In: The sea. Ed. by E. D. Goldberg. New York: Wiley 1974
Broecker, W. S. and T. H. Peng: Tracers in the sea. New York: Eldigio, Lamont Doherty, Columbia, Univ. 1982
Capone, D. G. and B. F. Taylor: Microbial nitrogen cycling in a seagrass community, pp 153–161. In: Estuarine perspectives. Ed. by V. Kennedy. New York: Academic Press 1980
Chapman, A. R. O. and J. S. Craigie: Seasonal growth in Laminaria longicruris: relations with dissolved inorganic nutrients and internal reserves of nitrogen. Mar. Biol. 40, 107–205 (1977)
Droop, M. R.: Some thoughts on nutrient limitation in algae. J. Phycol. 9, 264–272 (1973)
Droop, M. R.: The nutrient status of algal cells in continuous culture. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 54, 825–855 (1974)
Goldman, J. C., J. J. McCarthy and D. G. Peavy: Growth rate influence on the chemical composition of phytoplankton in oceanic waters. Nature, Lond. 279, 210–215 (1979)
Hanisak, M. D.: Growth patterns of Codium fragile spp. tomentosoides in response to temperature, irradiance, salinity, and nitrogen source. Mar. Biol. 50, 319–332 (1979)
Healey, F. P.: Short-term response of nutrition-deficient algae to nutrient addition. J. Phycol. 15, 289–299 (1979)
Jannasch, H. W.: Steady state and the chemostat in ecology. Limnol. Oceanogr. 19, 716–720 (1974)
Ketchum, B. H.: The absorption of phosphate and nitrate by illuminated cultures of Nitzschia closterium. Am. J. Bot. 26, 399–407 (1939a)
Ketchum, B. H.: The development and restoration of deficiencies in the phosphorus and nitrogen composition of unicellular plants. J. cell. comp. Physiol. 13, 373–381 (1939b)
Lapointe, B. E.: Strategies for pulsed nutrient supply to Gracilaria cultures in the Florida Keys: interactions between concentration and frequency of nutrient pulses. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 93, 211–22 (1986)
Lapointe, B. E. and C. S. Duke: Biochemical strategies for growth of Gracilaria tikvahiae in relation to light intensity and netrogen availability. J. Phycol. 20, 488–495 (1984)
Lapointe, B. E. and N. P. Smith: A preliminary investigation of upwelling as a source of nutrients to Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. NOAA Technical Report #NA84AAA04157. (In review)
Lean, D. R. S. and F. R. Pick: Photosynthetic response of lake plankton to nutrient enrichment: a test for nutrient limitation. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, 1001–1019 (1981)
McComb, A. J., R. P. Atkins, P. B. Birch, D. M. Gordon and R. J. Lukatelich: Eutrophication in the Peel-Harvey estuarine system, Western Australia, pp 323–342. Estuaries and nutrients. Clifton, N.J.: Humana Press 1981
Menzel, D. W. and N. Corwin: The measurement of total phosphorus in seawater based on the liberation of organically bound fractions by persulfate oxidation. Limnol. Oceanogr. 10, 280–282 (1965)
Morris, I., C. M. Yentsch and C. S. Yentsch: The physiological state with respect to nitrogen of phytoplankton from low nutrient subtropical water. Limnol. Oceanogr. 16, 859–868 (1971)
Morse, J. W. and N. Cook: The distribution and form of phosphorus in North Atlantic Ocean, deep-sea and continental slope sediments. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 825–830 (1978)
Myers, V. B. and R. I. Iverson: Phosphorus and nitrogen limited phytoplankton productivity in northeastern Gulf of Mexico coastal estuaries, pp 569–582. In: Estuaries and nutrients. Clifton, N.J.: Humana 1981
Parsons, T. R., M. Takahashi and B. Hargrave: Biological oceanographic processes, 332 pp. New York: Pergamon Press 1977
Redfield, A. C.: The biological control of chemical factors in the environment. Am. Sci. 46, 205–222 (1958)
Rhee, G.-Y.: Phosphate uptake under nitrate limitation by Scenedesmus sp. and its ecological implications. J. Phycol. 10, 470–475 (1974)
Rhee, G.-Y.: Effects of N:P atomic ratios and nitrate limitation on algal growth, cell composition, and nitrate uptake. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 10–25 (1978)
Rhee, G.-Y. and I. J. Gotham: The effect of environmental factors on phytoplankton growth: temperature and the interactions of temperature with nutrient limitation. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, 635–648 (1981)
Ryther, J. H., N. Corwin, T. A. DeBusk and L. D. Williams: Nitrogen uptake and storage by the red alga Gracilaria tikvahiae (McLachlan, 1979). Aquaculture 26, 107–115 (1981)
Ryther, J. H. and W. M. Dunstan: Nitrogen, phosphorus and eutrophication in the coastal marine environment. Science, N.Y. 171, 1008–1013 (1971)
Sander, F. and E. Moore: Significance of ammonia in determining the N:P ratio of the seawater off Barbados, West Indies. Mar. Biol. 55, 17–21 (1979)
Smith, N. P.: Upwelling in Atlantic shelf waters of South Florida. Fla Scient. 45, 125–138 (1982)
Smith, V. H.: Light and nutrient dependence by algae. J. Phycol. 19, 306–313 (1983)
Smith, S. V.: Phosphorus versus nitrogen limitation in the marine environment. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29, 1149–1160 (1984)
Steel, R. G. D. and J. H. Torrie: Principles and procedures of statistics, 633 pp. New York: McGraw-Hill 1980
Thomas, W. H.: On nitrogen deficiency in tropical Pacific oceanic phytoplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 380–385 (1970)
Topinka, J. A. and J. V. Robbins: Effect of nitrate and ammonium enrichment on growth and nitrogen physiology in Fucus spiralis. Limnol. Oceanogr. 21, 659–664 (1976)
Verduin, J.: Principles of primary productivity: photosynthesis under completely natural conditions, pp 221–238. In: Algae and man. Ed. by D. F. Jackson. New York: Plenum 1964
Vince, S. and I. Valiela: The effects of ammonium and phosphate enrichments on chlorophyll-a, pigment ratio, and species composition of phytoplankton of Vineyard Sound. Mar. Biol. 19, 69–73 (1973)
Zimmerman, G., M. Price and J. Montgomery: Operation methods and quality control of Technicon AutoAnalyzer II systems for nutrient determinations in sea water. Harbor Branch Foundation Technical Report No. 11. 1977
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lapointe, B.E. Phosphorus- and nitrogen-limited photosynthesis and growth of Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyceae) in the Florida Keys: an experimental field study. Mar. Biol. 93, 561–568 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392794
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392794