Microalgal assemblages in a poikilohaline pond. Issue 2 (12th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Shuyi; Lambert, William; Giang, Sophia; Goericke, Ralf; Palenik, Brian; Posewitz, M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of phycology. Volume 50:Issue 2(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 303
• Page End: 309
• Publication Date: 2014-02-12
• Subjects: Algae -- Periodicals; 579.8
• DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12158
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3646

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jpy12158-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Microalgal strains for algal biofuels production in outdoor ponds will need to have high net growth rates under diverse environmental conditions. A small, variable salinity pond in the San Elijo Lagoon estuary in southern California was chosen to serve as a model pond due to its routinely high chlorophyll content. Profiles of microalgal assemblages from water samples collected from April 2011 to January 2012 were obtained by constructing 18S rDNA environmental clone libraries. Pond assemblages were found to be dominated by green algae <italic>Picochlorum</italic> sp. and <italic>Picocystis</italic> sp. throughout the year. Pigment analysis suggested that the two species contributed most of the chlorophyll <italic>a</italic> of the pond, which ranged from 21.9 to 664.3 μg · L<sup>−1</sup> with the <italic>Picocystis</italic> contribution increasing at higher salinities. However, changes of temperature, salinity or irradiance may have enabled a bloom of the diatom <italic>Chaetoceros</italic> sp. in June 2011. Isolates of these microalgae were obtained and their growth rates characterized as a function of temperature and salinity. <italic>Chaetoceros</italic> sp. had the highest growth rate over the temperature test range while it showed the most sensitivity to high salinity. All three strains showed the presence of lipid bodies during nitrogen starvation, suggesting they have potential as future biofuels strains.</p> </abstract>