Ecophysiological perspectives of blue-green algal blooms

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) have had a profound and unparalled impact on the aquatic environment because of the phenomenon of bloom formation. In many countries, water management is threatened with extensive and persistent noxious blooms of blue-green algae in surface and near-surface mesotrophic and eutrophic waters. In view of this, ecological and physiological factors responsible for blue-green algal dominance are discussed. The implications of cyanobacterial blooms are highlighted and recommendations made to combat this menace

Prevention of photooxidation in blue-green emitting Cu doped ZnSe nanocrystals

This communication highlights unstable blue-green emitting Cu doped ZnSe nanocrystals stabilized by diluting the surface Se with a calculated amount of S.

Ba(3)(P(1-x)Mn(x)O(4))(2): Blue/green inorganic materials based on tetrahedral Mn(V)

We describe a blue/green inorganic material, Ba(3)(P(1-x)-Mn(x)O(4))(2) (I) based on tetrahedral MnO(4)(3-):3d(2) chromophore. The solid solutions (I) which are sky-blue and turquoise-blue for x <= 0.25 and dark green for x >= 0-50, are readily synthesized in air from commonly available starting materials, stabilizing the MnO(4)(3-) chromophore in an isostructural phosphate host. We suggest that the covalency/ionicity of P-O/Mn-O bonds in the solid solutions tunes the crystal field strength around Mn(V) such that a blue colour results for materials with small values of x. The material could serve as a nontoxic blue/green inorganic pigment.

Microspherical, hierarchical structures of blue-green-emitting Dy:GdOOH and Dy:Gd2O3

Dy-doped GdOOH microspherical structures were prepared in minutes without using any structure-directing agents, through the microwave irradiation route. The as-prepared product consists of nearly monodisperse sphere-like entities with each one representing a three-level hierarchy in its formation. Dy:GdOOH powder samples show a bright blue-green luminescence under UV excitation, making these structures potentially important in the field of optical and luminescent devices. Finally, thermal conversion to the corresponding oxide structures occurs at modest temperatures, spherical morphology intact and with enhanced luminescence behaviour. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Blue green emission from a Cu+-Doped transparent material prepared by sintering porous glass

A colorless transparent, blue green emission material was fabricated by sintering porous glass impregnated with copper ions. The emission spectral profile obtained from Cu+ -doped high silica glass (HSG) by 267-mn monochromatic light excitation matches that obtained by pumping with an 800-nm femtosecond laser, indicating that the emissions in both cases come from an identical origin. The upconversion emission excited by 800-nm femtosecond laser is considered to be a three-photon excitation process. A tentative scheme of upconverted emission from Cu+ -doped HSG was also proposed. The glass materials presented herein are expected to find application in lamps, high density optical storage, and three-dimensional color displays.

Preliminary trials on the toxicity of "Algistat" to fish and algae

Preliminary toxicity trials conducted with "Algistat" (an algicide) indicated that a dose of 0,66ppm of the compound was highly toxic to fish and 0.8ppm was the general lethal level for Spirogyra sp. The blue green algae, Oscillatoria sp., Mycrocystis sp. and Anabaena sp. were adversely affected by dosages higher than 0.5 ppm Euglena sp. was not affected even at 1.0 ppm.

Taxonomic study of coenocytic green algae commonly growing on the coast of Karachi

Twelve commonly occurring coenocytic and siphonaceous species of marine benthic algae, i.e., Bryopsis pennatta Lamouroux, Caulerpa chemnitzia (Esper) Lamouroux, Ca. faridii Nizamuddin, Ca. manorensis Nizamuddin, Ca. racemosa (Forsskal) J. Agardh, Ca. taxifolia. (Vahl) C. Agardh, Chaetomorpha antennina (Bory de Saint-Vincent) Kutzing, Cladophora uncinella Harvey, Codium decorticatum (Woodward) Howe, Co. flabellatum Nizamuddin, Co. iyengarii Borgesen, and Valoniopsis pachynema (Martens) Borgesen, belonging to four different orders of the class Bryopsidophyceae, division Chlorophyta, were collected from the intertidal region of different coastal areas near Karachi (Pakistan) and investigated taxonomically. Codium decorticatum is a new report from this region and Co. decorticatum, Co. flabellatum and Co. iyengarii are described for the first time from the coast of Pakistan.

Culture of green algae Chlorella ellipsoidea in inexpensive media

The culture of the of green alga Chlorella ellipsoidea was conducted under natural conditions at the same place simultaneously in five different media, viz., medium-I (inorganic medium), medium-II (powdered whole-pulse medium), medium-III (medium of pulse bran), medium-IV (mixed medium = 50% inorganic medium + 50% whole-pulse powder medium), medium-V (mixed medium = 50% inorganic medium + 50% pulse bran medium). The culture was done in 500 ml conical flask. Growth rates of C. ellipsoidea in five different media were different and reached maximum cell densities of 0.63 x 10^6 cells per ml in 8 days in medium-I, 4.02 x 10^6 cells per ml in 10 days in medium-II, 3.62 x 10^6 cells per ml in 9 days in medium-III, 4.38 x 10^6 cells per ml in 11 days in medium-IV and 4.36 x 10^6 cells per ml in 11 days in medium-V. The range of air temperature was 20 to 33°C and that of culture media was 24 to 32°C and light intensity was 2000 to 7000 lux during the culture period. The inexpensive culture media were found to be significantly useful for algal culture.

Effect of two green algae species (Chlorella sp. & Scenedesmus obliquus) enriched with B group vitamins on food chain of Rutilus frisii kutum (Kamensky, 1901) fry

The Effect of two freshwater green algae species Chlorella sp. & Scenedesmus obliquus enriched (from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours) with different dosages of B group vitamins (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 ml of enriching solution per each liter of algae medium) on fecundity of Daphnia magna and growth of Rutilus frisii kutum fry were investigated in a research from spring, 2008 to autumn, 2009. First, each of the green algae species were cultured purely and massively in the Zander (Z-8+N) medium and then the nutritional value (the amount of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) of enriched algae were meausered. In this study, enriching of Chlorella sp. & S. obliquus with a suitable mix of B group vitamins significantly improved their nutritive value. So the highest amount of nutritional value of Chlorella sp. was obtained because of enriching with dosage 0.5 ml.l-1 (366.654Kcal) and for Scenedesmus obliquus with dosage of 1 ml.l-1 (376.95Kcal). The acquired amount from control group showed an increase of respectively 42% and 11%. According to the results, increased dosages of enriching solution caused Daphnia fecundity to increase (at both stages : enrichment from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours). So the highest average of D. magna reproduction rate was obtained through being fed with Chlorella sp. and S. obliquus enriched with dosage of 2 ml enriching solution per liter of algae medium. The average fecundity of D. magna fed with Chlorella sp. enriched with dosage of 2 ml.l-1 enriching solution from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours was obtained respectively 2.128 ± 0.375 and 2.1 ± 0.69 and the average fecundity of D. magna fed with S. obliquus enriched with dosage of 2 ml enriching solution from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours was obtained respectively 2.128 ± 0.375 and 2.1 ± 0.69 which showed respectively an increase of 61 ٪, 91٪, 77 ٪, and 83٪ in proportion to the acquired amount from control group. When enriching solution was added to either algae culture medium from the beginning of culture, showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between dosages of 0 and 2 ml.l-1, 1 and 2 ml.l-1, and 0.5 and 2 ml enriching solution per each liter of Chlorella sp. culture medium and between dosages of 0 and 1 ml.l-1, and 0 and 2 ml enriching solution per each liter of S. obliquus culture medium. The highest average of body weight gain percentage and specific growth rate of kutum fry was obtained respectively 21.19%, 26.63%, 1.92, and 2.34 from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours with dosage of 1 ml B group vitamins per each liter of Chlorella sp. culture medium, which showed respectively an increase of 50%, 70%, 46%, and 62% in proportion to the acquired amount from control group. In the cases which Chlorella sp. were grown in the medium containing vitamin, from point of view of the average percentage of weight and specific growth rate of kutum fry significant differences were observed on the basis of the result of One-way ANOVA between dosages of 0 and 1, 1 and 2 , 0.5 and 1 ml B group vitamins per each liter. The highest average of body weight gain percentage and specific growth rate of kutum fry was obtained respectively 32.02%, 29.42%, 2.78, and 2.34 from the beginning of culture and after 96 hours with dosage of 2 ml B group vitamins per each liter of S. obliquus culture medium, which showed respectively an increase of 32%, 19%, 28%, and 17% in proportion to the acquired amount from control group. In the cases which S. obliquus were grown in the medium containing vitamin, from point of view of the average percentage of weight and specific growth rate of kutum fry significant differences were observed on the basis of the result of One-way ANOVA between dosages of 0 and 1, 0 and 2. According to the results of the present research we can say that considerable enhancement in the quality of the food of D. magna can be made by manipulation of the nutritional value of fresh water unicellular green algae with suitable mixture of B group vitamins, so that both the fecundity of D. magna will increase and the nutritional requirements of the kutum fry will be filled in this way.

Colony development and physiological characterization of the edible blue-green alga, Nostoc sphaeroides (Nostocaceae, Cyanophyta)

The edible blue-green alga, Nostoc sphaeroides Kutzing, is able to form microcolonies and spherical macrocolonies. It has been used as a potent herbal medicine and dietary supplement for centuries because of its nutraceutical and pharmacological benefits. However, limited information is available on the development of the spherical macrocolonies and the environmental factors that affect their structure. This report described the morphogenesis of N. sphaeroides from single trichomes to macrocolonies. During the process, most structural features of macrocolonies of various sizes were dense maculas, rings, the compact core and the formation of liquid core; and the. laments within the macrocolonies showed different lengths and arrays depending on the sizes of macrocolonies. Meanwhile temperature and light intensity also strongly affected the internal structure of macrocolonies. As microcolonies further increased in size to form 30 mm macrocolonies, the colonies differentiated into distinct outer, middle and inner layers. The. laments of the outer layer showed higher maximum photosynthetic rates, higher light saturation point, and higher photosynthetic effciency than those of the inner layer; whereas the. laments of the inner layer had a higher content of chlorophyll a and phycobiliproteins than those of the outer layer. The results obtained in this study were important for the mass cultivation of N. sphaeroides as a nutraceutical product. (c) 2008 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.

Impacts of elevated CO2 concentration on biochemical composition, carbonic anhydrase, and nitrate reductase activity of freshwater green algae

To investigate the biochemical response of freshwater green algae to elevated CO2 concentrations, Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dang cells were cultured at different CO2 concentrations within the range 3-186 μ mol/L and the biochemical composition, carbonic anhydrase (CA), and nitrate reductase activities of the cells were investigated. Chlorophylls (Chl), carotenoids, carbonhydrate, and protein contents were enhanced to varying extents with increasing CO2 concentration from 3-186 μ mol/L. The CO2 enrichment significantly increased the Chl a/Chl b ratio in Chlorella pyrenoidosa, but not in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The CO2 concentration had significant effects on CA and nitrate reductase activity. Elevating CO2 concentration to 186 μ mol/L caused a decline in intracellular and extracellullar CA activity. Nitrate reductase activity, under either light or dark conditions, in C. reinhardtii and C. pyrenoidosa was also significantly decreased with CO2 enrichment. From this study, it can be concluded that CO2 enrichment can affect biochemical composition, CA, and nitrate reductase activity, and that the biochemical response was species dependent.

The vertical microdistribution of cyanobacteria and green algae within desert crusts and the development of the algal crusts

Substantial amounts of algal crusts were collected from five different desert experimental sites aged 42, 34, 17, 8 and 4 years, respectively, at Shapotou ( China) and analyzed at a 0.1 mm microscale of depth. It was found that the vertical distribution of cyanobacteria and microalgae in the crusts was distinctly laminated into an inorganic-layer (ca. 0.00 - 0.02 mm, with few algae), an algae-dense-layer ( ca. 0.02 - 1.0 mm) and an algae-sparse-layer ( ca. 1.0 - 5.0 mm). It was interesting to note that in all crusts Scytonema javanicum Born et Flah ( or Nostoc sp., cyanobacterium), Desmococcus olivaceus (Pers ex Ach., green alga) Laundon and Microcoleus vaginatus Gom. ( cyanobacterium) dominated at the depth of 0.02 - 0.05, 0.05 - 0.1 and 0.1 - 1.0 mm, respectively, from the surface. Phormidium tenue Gom. ( or Lyngbya cryptovaginatus Schk., cyanobacterium) and Navicula cryptocephala Kutz.( or Hantzschia amphioxys (Ehr.) Grun. and N. cryptocephala together, diatom) dominated at the depth of 1.0 - 3.0 and 3.5 - 4.0 mm, respectively, of the crusts from the 42 and 34 year old sites. It was apparent that in more developed crusts there were more green algae and the niches of Nostoc sp., Chlorella vulgaris Beij., M. vaginatus, N. cryptocephala and fungi were nearer to the surface. If lichens and mosses accounted for less than 41.5% of the crust surface, algal biovolume was bigger when the crust was older, but the opposite was true when the cryptogams other than algae covered more than 70%. In addition to detailed species composition and biovolume, analyses of soil physicochemical properties, micromorphologies and mineral components were also performed. It was found that the concentration of organic matter and nutrients, electric conductivity, silt, clay, secondary minerals were higher and there were more micro-beddings in the older crusts than the less developed ones. Possible mechanisms for the algal vertical microdistribtion at different stages and the impact of soil topography on crust development are discussed. It is concluded that biomethods ( such as fine species distribution and biovolume) were more precise than mineralogical approaches in judging algal crust development and thus could be a better means to measure the potentiality of algal crusts in desert amelioration.

Distribution of epilithic algae in the Xiangxi River system and their relationships with environmental factors

The spatial pattern of epilithic algae in the Xiangxi River system was studied in relation to several environmental factors by two-way indictor species analysis (TWINSPAN), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Eighty-nine taxa including diatoms, green algae, and blue-green algae were observed. Diatoms were dominant, and Cocconeis placentula, Cymbella minuta, Diatoma vulgare, and Gomphonema angustatum appeared in most of sampling sites. By TWINSPAN and DCA, thirty-one sites were divided into three groups based on composition and relative richness of benthic algae. CCA indicated that SiO2, pH, total phosphorus, Ca2+, velocity, elevation, and Cl- were significant environmental factors affecting the distribution of algae communities. In this minimal subset, SiO2 and pH were the most influential variables.