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Pistelli L, Del Mondo A, Smerilli A, Corato F, Sansone C, Brunet C. Biotechnological response curve of the cyanobacterium Spirulina subsalsa to light energy gradient. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:28. [PMID: 36803279 PMCID: PMC9940373 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02277-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microalgae represent a suitable and eco-sustainable resource for human needs thanks to their fast growth ability, together with the great diversity in species and intracellular secondary bioactive metabolites. These high-added-value compounds are of great interest for human health or animal feed. The intracellular content of these valuable compound families is tightly associated with the microalgal biological state and responds to environmental cues, e.g., light. Our study develops a Biotechnological response curve strategy exploring the bioactive metabolites synthesis in the marine cyanobacterium Spirulina subsalsa over a light energy gradient. The Relative Light energy index generated in our study integrates the red, green and blue photon flux density with their relative photon energy. The Biotechnological response curve combined biochemical analysis of the macromolecular composition (total protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content), total sterols, polyphenols and flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, D2, D3, E, H, and K1), phycobiliproteins, together with the antioxidant activity of the biomass as well as the growth ability and photosynthesis. RESULTS Results demonstrated that light energy significantly modulate the biochemical status of the microalga Spirulina subsalsa revealing the relevance of the light energy index to explain the light-induced biological variability. The sharp decrease of the photosynthetic rate at high light energy was accompanied with an increase of the antioxidant network response, such as carotenoids, total polyphenols, and the antioxidant capacity. Conversely, low light energy favorized the intracellular content of lipids and vitamins (B2, B6, B9, D3, K1, A, C, H, and B12) compared to high light energy. CONCLUSIONS Results of the Biotechnological response curves were discussed in their functional and physiological relevance as well as for the essence of their potential biotechnological applications. This study emphasized the light energy as a relevant tool to explain the biological responses of microalgae towards light climate variability, and, therefore, to design metabolic manipulation of microalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Pistelli
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, sede Molosiglio Marina Acton, via ammiraglio F. Acton, 55., 80133, Naples, Italy
| | - Angelo Del Mondo
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, sede Molosiglio Marina Acton, via ammiraglio F. Acton, 55., 80133, Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna Smerilli
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, sede Molosiglio Marina Acton, via ammiraglio F. Acton, 55., 80133, Naples, Italy
| | - Federico Corato
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, villa comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Clementina Sansone
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, sede Molosiglio Marina Acton, via ammiraglio F. Acton, 55., 80133, Naples, Italy.
| | - Christophe Brunet
- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn, sede Molosiglio Marina Acton, via ammiraglio F. Acton, 55., 80133, Naples, Italy
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Copepod Assemblages in A Large Arctic Coastal Area: A Baseline Summer Study. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To provide a baseline description of copepod assemblages in the Pechora Sea, an estuarine area with great economical and ecological importance, we conducted a survey during the summer season. A total of 24 copepod taxa were identified in the study, with Acartia longiremis, Calanus finmarchicus, Centropages hamatus, Copepoda nauplii, Eurytemora affinis, Oithona similis, Pseudocalanus spp., and Temora longicornis being the most numerous. The high diversity (Shannon index = 2.51 ± 0.06), density (18,720 ± 3376 individuals m−3) and biomass (89 ± 18 mg dry mass m−3) of copepods were revealed. Populations of common small copepod taxa were dominated by the young stages, indicating spawning, while older copepodites prevailed among medium- and large-sized species, showing that their reproduction occurred before our survey. Cluster analysis indicated three groups of stations that mainly differed in the abundance of particular species. There were clear associations between copepod assemblages and environmental variables. Statistical analyses showed significant correlations between copepod abundance and water temperature or sampling depth, while other factors had a lesser influence. Our results suggest a strong effect of local circulation and currents on the spatial pattern of the copepod assemblages in the study area. This study may be useful for future biomonitoring in the south-eastern Barents Sea.
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Longobardi L, Dubroca L, Margiotta F, Sarno D, Zingone A. Photoperiod-driven rhythms reveal multi-decadal stability of phytoplankton communities in a highly fluctuating coastal environment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3908. [PMID: 35273208 PMCID: PMC8913669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07009-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton play a pivotal role in global biogeochemical and trophic processes and provide essential ecosystem services. However, there is still no broad consensus on how and to what extent their community composition responds to environmental variability. Here, high-frequency oceanographic and biological data collected over more than 25 years in a coastal Mediterranean site are used to shed light on the temporal patterns of phytoplankton species and assemblages in their environmental context. Because of the proximity to the coast and due to large-scale variations, environmental conditions showed variability on the short and long-term scales. Nonetheless, an impressive regularity characterised the annual occurrence of phytoplankton species and their assemblages, which translated into their remarkable stability over decades. Photoperiod was the dominant factor related to community turnover and replacement, which points at a possible endogenous regulation of biological processes associated with species-specific phenological patterns, in analogy with terrestrial plants. These results highlight the considerable stability and resistance of phytoplankton communities in response to different environmental pressures, which contrast the view of these organisms as passively undergoing changes that occur at different temporal scales in their habitat, and show how, under certain conditions, biological processes may prevail over environmental forcing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Longobardi
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Laurent Dubroca
- Institut Français de Recherche Pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, IFREMER, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques de Port-en-Bessin, 14520, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, France
| | - Francesca Margiotta
- Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Diana Sarno
- Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Adriana Zingone
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy. .,Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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D'Ambra I, Merquiol L, Graham WM, Costello JH. "Indirect development" increases reproductive plasticity and contributes to the success of scyphozoan jellyfish in the oceans. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18653. [PMID: 34545165 PMCID: PMC8452738 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98171-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists and evolutionary biologists have been looking for the key(s) to the success of scyphomedusae through their long evolutionary history in multiple habitats. Their ability to generate young medusae (ephyrae) via two distinct reproductive strategies, strobilation or direct development from planula into ephyra without a polyp stage, has been a potential explanation. In addition to these reproductive modes, here we provide evidence of a third ephyral production which has been rarely observed and often confused with direct development from planula into ephyra. Planulae of Aurelia relicta Scorrano et al. 2017 and Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri 1778) settled and formed fully-grown polyps which transformed into ephyrae within several days. In distinction to monodisk strobilation, the basal polyp of indirect development was merely a non-tentaculate stalk that dissolved shortly after detachment of the ephyra. We provide a fully detailed description of this variant that increases reproductive plasticity within scyphozoan life cycles and is different than either true direct development or the monodisk strobilation. Our observations of this pattern in co-occurrence with mono- and polydisk strobilation in Aurelia spp. suggest that this reproductive mode may be crucial for the survival of some scyphozoan populations within the frame of a bet-hedging strategy and contribute to their long evolutionary success throughout the varied conditions of past and future oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella D'Ambra
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Louise Merquiol
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - William M Graham
- Florida Institute of Oceanography, 830 1st Street S. MSL 128D, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - John H Costello
- Biology Department, Providence College, Providence, RI, 02918, USA
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Rizzo L, Musco L, Crocetta F. Cohabiting with litter: Fish and benthic assemblages in coastal habitats of a heavily urbanized area. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 164:112077. [PMID: 33515821 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic litter negatively impacts the marine environment and threatens biodiversity. At the same time, it represents a suitable substrate for the settlement of sessile species, thus potentially altering composition and structure of soft bottom benthic assemblages. By using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), we hereby investigated patterns of abundance, distribution, and origin of benthic litter in three subtidal habitats of a heavily urbanized area and tested whether litter distribution related to patterns of fish and mega- and macro-benthic diversity. Litter accumulation mostly occurred on soft bottoms, while rocky substrata were the least affected, albeit being particularly threatened by sea-based pollution. As expected, the highest biodiversity was observed on rocky bottoms, hosting notable biogenic formations (Cladocora caespitosa, Leptogorgia sarmentosa) despite the area is historically affected by anthropogenic activities. No correlation was found between biota and marine litter, suggesting that litter does not apparently influence biodiversity and distribution of the investigated assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Rizzo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, I-80121 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Luigi Musco
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, I-80121 Napoli, Italy; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DISTEBA), University of Salento, Via Monteroni, I-73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Fabio Crocetta
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, I-80121 Napoli, Italy
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Ferrera I, Reñé A, Funosas D, Camp J, Massana R, Gasol JM, Garcés E. Assessment of microbial plankton diversity as an ecological indicator in the NW Mediterranean coast. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 160:111691. [PMID: 33181960 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing of microbial assemblages has been proposed as an alternative methodology to the traditional ones used in marine monitoring and environmental assessment. Here, we evaluated pico- and nanoplankton diversity as ecological indicators in NW Mediterranean coastal waters by comparing their diversity in samples subjected to varying degrees of continental pressures. Using metabarcoding of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, we explored whether alphadiversity indices, abundance of Operational Taxonomic Units and taxonomic groups (and their ratios) provide information on the ecological quality of coastal waters. Our results revealed that only eukaryotic diversity metrics and a limited number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic taxa displayed potential in assessing continental influences in our surveyed area, resulting thus in a restrained potential of microbial plankton diversity as an ecological indicator. Therefore, incorporating microbial plankton diversity in environmental assessment could not always result in a significant improvement of current marine monitoring strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Ferrera
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain.
| | - Albert Reñé
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - David Funosas
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Jordi Camp
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Ramon Massana
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Josep M Gasol
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Esther Garcés
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
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Milito A, Murano C, Castellano I, Romano G, Palumbo A. Antioxidant and immune response of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to different re-suspension patterns of highly polluted marine sediments. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:104978. [PMID: 32291250 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine pollution due to disused industrial activities is a major threat to ecosystems and human health, for example through the effects of re-suspension of toxic substances that are present in contaminated sediments. Here, we examined the effects of different re-suspension patterns of polluted sediments from the site of national interest Bagnoli-Coroglio, on the immune system of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. An indoor experiment was set up exposing sea urchins for 34 days to such sediments and evaluating the effects of two patterns of water turbulence, mimicking natural storms at sea. One group of animals experienced an "aggregated" pattern of turbulence, consisting in two events, each lasting 2 days, separated by only 3 calm days, while a second group experienced two events of turbulence separated by 17 calm days (spaced pattern). At different times from the beginning of the experiment, coelomic fluid was collected from the animals and immune cells were examined for cell count and morphology, oxidative stress variables, and expression of genes involved in metal detoxification, stress response and inflammation. Our results highlighted that the aggregated pattern of turbulence was more noxious for sea urchins. Indeed, their immune system was altered, over the exposure time, as indicated by the increase of red amoebocytes number. Moreover, despite of an increase of the antioxidant power, animals from this group displayed a very significant ROS over-production at the end of the experiment. Conversely, animals in the spaced condition activated a different immune response, mainly having phagocytes as actors, and were able to partially recover from the received stress at the end of the experiment. No changes in the expression of genes related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses were observed in both groups. By contrast, a down-regulation of various metallothioneins (4, 6, 7 and 8) in the group subjected to aggregated pattern was observed, while metallothionein 8 was up-regulated in the animals from the group exposed to the spaced pattern of turbulence. This work provides the first evidence of how sea urchins can respond to different re-suspension patterns of polluted sediments by modulating their immune system functions. The present data are relevant in relation to the possible environmental restoration of the study site, whose priorities include the assessment of the effects of marine pollution on local organisms, among which P. lividus represents a key benthic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonsina Milito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Carola Murano
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy; Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Immacolata Castellano
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Romano
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Palumbo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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8
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Multi-Collocation-Based Estimation of Wave Climate in a Non-Tidal Bay: The Case Study of Bagnoli-Coroglio Bay (Tyrrhenian Sea). WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12071936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, the advantages of shaping a non-conventional triple collocation-based calibration of a wave propagation model is pointed out. Illustrated through a case study in the Bagnoli-Coroglio Bay (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), a multi-comparison between numerical data and direct measurements have been carried out. The nearshore wave propagation model output has been compared with measurements from an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and an innovative low-cost drifter-derived GPS-based wave buoy located outside the bay. The triple collocation—buoy, ADCP and virtual numerical point—make possible an implicit validation between instrumentations and between instrumentation and numerical model. The procedure presented here advocates for an alternative “two-step” strategy. Indeed, the triple collocation technique has been used solely to provide a first “rough” calibration of one numerical domain in which the input open boundary has been placed, so that the main wave direction is orthogonally aligned. The need for a fast and sufficiently accurate estimation of wave model parameters (first step) and then an ensemble of five different offshore boundary orientations have been considered, referencing for a more detailed calibration to a short time series of a GPS-buoy installed in the study area (second step). Such a stage involves the introduction of an enhancement factor for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) dataset, used as input for the model. Finally, validation of the final model’s predictions has been carried out by comparing ADCP measurements in the bay. Despite some limitations, the results reveal that the approach is promising and an excellent correlation can be found, especially in terms of significant wave height.
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Carotenuto Y, Vitiello V, Gallo A, Libralato G, Trifuoggi M, Toscanesi M, Lofrano G, Esposito F, Buttino I. Assessment of the relative sensitivity of the copepods Acartia tonsa and Acartia clausi exposed to sediment-derived elutriates from the Bagnoli-Coroglio industrial area. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104878. [PMID: 31975692 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The sensitivity of the copepods Acartia tonsa, commonly used in standardized tests for environmental risk assessment and A. clausi, the dominant autochthonous congener species in the Mediterranean Sea, was assessed using sediment-derived elutriates from the industrial area of Bagnoli-Coroglio and nickel chloride as referent toxicant. Acute A. clausi naupliar immobilization test showed EC50 for elutriates E25, E56 and E84 of 23.3%, 80.5% and >100%, respectively, compared to 59.5%, 66.6% and >100% in A. tonsa. In the 7 day sublethal test, a reduction in A. clausi egg production rates was observed in all elutriates, but only in E56 for A. tonsa. Elutriate 56, which contained the highest amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, also induced 70% mortality in A. clausi females. Although A. clausi was more sensitive than A. tonsa, the two species had convergent responses to the three elutriates, thus opening the venue for a potential use of A. clausi in standardized ecotoxicity tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Carotenuto
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Valentina Vitiello
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale, via del cedro 38, 57122, Livorno, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gallo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Toscanesi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Giusy Lofrano
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Isabella Buttino
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy; Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale, via del cedro 38, 57122, Livorno, Italy.
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Pelusi A, Rotolo F, Gallo A, Ferrante MI, Montresor M. Effects of elutriates from contaminated coastal sediments on different life cycle phases of planktonic diatoms. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104890. [PMID: 32072992 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the effects of elutriates from sediments collected at three stations in the polluted Bay of Bagnoli-Coroglio along the Campania coast (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) using three planktonic diatoms regularly occurring in the area, Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, P. arenysensis and Chaetoceros socialis. Specifically, we tested the production of sexual stages in the heterothallic Pseudo-nitzschia species with the hypothesis that pollutants could impair sexual reproduction. We also tested the seeding capacity of spores of C. socialis after up to six months of storage in elutriates, assuming that pollutants could affect the capability of resting stages to germinate. Elutriate from station 56, with the highest concentrations of pollutants, impaired growth, sexual reproduction and spore germination. Elutriates from stations 25 and 84 caused moderate enhancement of growth and sexual reproduction in Pseudo-nitzschia as compared with control conditions, and also had intermediate effect on spore seeding capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pelusi
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - F Rotolo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - A Gallo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - M I Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - M Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
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