Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T19:04:03.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Studies on the Growth of Marine Phytoplankton I.Asterionella Japonica Gran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

Joanna M. Kain  and
G. E. Fogg
Joanna M. Kain
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University College, London Now at the Marine Biological Station, Port Erin, Isle of Man.
G. E. Fogg
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University College, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

A planktonic marine diatom, Asterionella japonica, has been grown in unialgal, but not bacteria-free, culture under controlled conditions and its growth has been measured by means of optical density determinations and cell counts in combination.

The relative growth constant has been found to be usually between 0·7 and 1·2 loge units per day, and to be little affected by variation of the concentration of nitrate, phosphate and silicate within wide limits. Rapid growth occurred in waters having salinities between 20 and 40‰ S. The optimum temperature for growth was 20–25° C and the optimum light intensity from 4000 to 10,000 lux. The relative growth rate was affected most markedly by variation in hydrogen-ion concentration. This was manifest in stagnant cultures in which the rise of pH above 8·3, caused by absorption of carbon dioxide, resulted in the inhibition of growth. This could be countered by increased aeration or by the addition of the buffer tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane.

Evidence has been obtained which suggests that A. japonica requires a thermostable substance present in natural sea water and that a thermolabile substance stimulating its growth is produced in culture.

Final yields of the order of 4000 cells per mm3 were obtained and, within limits, were dependent on the amounts of nitrate and silicate supplied. The nitrogen requirements per cell was determined as 0·255 μμg atom. Indications were obtained of the presence of a growth-inhibiting substance in the filtrates from old cultures.

The optical density of the cells was increased at high nitrate concentrations and when exhaustion of silicate prevented cell division.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , June 1958 , pp. 397 - 413
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1958

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Braarud, T. 1937. A quantitative method for the experimental study of plankton diatoms. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer, Vol. 12, pp. 321–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braarud, T. 1945. Experimental studies on marine plankton diatoms. Avh. norske VidenskAkad., 1944, No. 10 16 pp.Google Scholar
Fogg, G. E.Smith, W. E. E. & Miller, J. D. A. 1958. An apparatus for the culture of algae under controlled conditions. Journal of Biochemical and Microbiological Technology and Engineering, Vol. 1, in the press.Google Scholar
Gross, F. & Koczy, F. F. 1946. Photometric measuremaents of the growth of phytoplankton cultures. Goteborgs VetenskSamh. Handl., Föolj. 6, Bd. 5, No. 2, 18 pp.Google Scholar
Harvey, H. W. 1955. The Chemistry and Fertility of Sea Waters. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jorgensen, E.' G. 1953. Silicate assimilation by diatoms. Physiol. Plant., Vol. 6, pp. 301–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorgensen, E. G. 1955. Variation in the silica content of diatoms. Physiol. Plant., Vol. 8, pp. 840–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorgensen, E. G. 1957. Diatom periodicity and silicon assimilation. Dansk bot. Ark., Vol. 18, pp. 1–54.Google Scholar
Lewin, J. C. 1957. Silicon metabolism in diatoms. IV. Growth and frustule formation in Navicula pelliculosa. Canad. J. Microbiol., Vol. 3, pp. 427–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pringsheim, E. G. 1946. Pure Cultures of Algae. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Provasoli, L.Mclaughlin, J. J. A. & Droop, M. R. 1957. The development of artificial media for marine algae. Arch. Mikrobiol., Bd. 25, pp. 392–428.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodhe, W. 1948. Environmental requirements of freshwater plankton algae. Symb. bot. upsaliens., Bd. 10, pp. 1–149.Google Scholar
Spencer, C. P. 1952. On the use of antibiotics for isolating bacteria-free cultures of marine phytoplankton organisms. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., Vol. 31, pp. 97–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spencer, C. P. 1954. Studies on the culture of a marine diatom. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., Vol. 33, pp. 265–90CrossRefGoogle Scholar