Marine algae environment

Aridreae, M. O., and Klumpp, D. (1979). Biosynthesis and release of organo-arsenic compounds by marine algae. Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 738-741. 

In aquatic environments, waterborne lead was the most toxic form. Adverse effects were noted on daphnid reproduction at 1.0 pg Pb+2/L, on rainbow trout survival at 3.5 pg tetraethyllead/L, and on growth of marine algae at 5.1 pg Pb+2/L. High bioconcentration factors were recorded for filter-feeding bivalve molluscs and freshwater algae at 5.0 pg Pb+2/L. 

Boisson, F., M. Gnassia-Barelli, and M. Romeo. 1995. Toxicity and accumulation of selenite and selenate in the unicellular marine algae Cricosphaera elongata. Arch. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol. 28 497-493. Bovee, E.C. and T.L. O Brien. 1982. Some effects of selenium, vanadium and zirconium on the swimming rate of Tetrahymena pyriformis a bioassay study. Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 52 (4) 39 44. 

Figure 11. Uptake rates of inorganic Hg (a) and of methylmercury (b) by a marine alga as a function of the octanol-water distribution ratio of the Hg-species under various conditions of pH and chloride concentrations. The neutral species HgCl and CH5HgClH diffuse through the membranes. Reprinted with permission from [79] Mason, R. P. et al. (1996). Uptake, toxicity, and trophic transfer in a coastal diatom , Environ. Sci Technol., 30, 1835-1845 copyright (1996) American Chemical Society...

Nylund GM, Pavia H (2003) Inhibitory effects of red algal extracts on larval settlement of the barnacle Balanus improvisus. Mar Biol 143 875-882 Patel P, Callow ME, Joint I, Callow JA (2003) Specificity in the settlement - modifying response of bacterial biofilms towards zoospores of the marine alga Enteromorpha. Environ Microbiol 5 338-349... 

Kiene RP, Taylor BF (1988) Demethylation of dimethylsulfoniopropionate and production of thiols in anoxic marine sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 54 2208-2212 Kiene RP, Visscher P, Keller M, Kirst GO (1996) Biological and environmental chemistry of DMSP and related sulfonium compounds. Plenum, New York Kirst G (1989) Salinity tolerance of eukaryotic marine algae. Ann Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 40 21-53... 

Wheeler GL, Tait K, Taylor A, Brownlee C, Joint I (2006) Acyl-homoserine lactones modulate the settlement rate of zoospores of the marine alga Ulva intestinalis via a novel chemokinetic mechanism. Plant Cell Environ 29 608-618... 

Although the marine environment is the final compartment receiving surfactants, few reports have considered seawater species. To the best of our knowledge, surfactants bioconcentration has been determined in marine algae [8], shrimp [51], mussel [51,66,69] and the stickleback [51]. Although experiments are increasingly being focused on the marine and coastal environments, further work is necessary to measure bioconcentration in these ecosystems. 

In summary it appears that both DMS and its major oceanic precursor, DMSP, are relatively widespread in the marine environment. However, considerable additional work is necessary to extend the present data base relative to the occurrence of DMSP in marine algae, and more importantly to better understand its biochemical role in cellular metabolism and the mechanisms involved in the release of DMS into seawater. 

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an organic sulfur compound that occurs at high concentrations in many marine algae and plants, wnere it fulfills an osmotic function (1.21. DMSP is a principal form of organic sulfur in productive marine environments and its microbial catabolism entails either enzymatic cleavage to dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and aciylate (3.41 ... 

The marine environment is a vast resource for the discovery of structurally unique bioactive secondary metabolites, some belonging to totally novel chemical classes.8 Sessile benthic organisms including the Porifera, Cnidaria, Bryozoa, and Tunicata as well as marine algae have developed an arsenal of compounds which have been demonstrated to confer a competitive advantage in ecosystems characterized by extreme resource limitations. Interactions of these organisms at the genetic,... 

In the marine environment, a major decomposition product of organosulfur is dimethylsulfide (DMS). This product originates from dimethylsul-foniopropionate, a major metabolite of marine algae that may have a role in osmoregulation. The volatile DMS escapes from the oceans according to some estimates, 90% of the total sulfur flux from the marine environment to the atmosphere occurs in the form of DMS. Another major product is H2S. Once they escape to the atmosphere, DMS, H2S and mer-captans are subject to photooxidative reactions that ultimately yield sulfates. H2S also reacts directly with 02 in the atmosphere. 

Interactions of trace elements with algae in the marine environment are being extensively studied (1-3, 5-12). Copper and zinc, both essential micronutrients required by phytoplankton, may be toxic at elevated concentrations (11-13). The biological effects of copper and zinc are strongly dependent on their speciation the activity of the free metal ion has been shown to be a key parameter (13). Toxic effects of Cu on marine algae have been observed in the range of pCu 10-12 (11-13). 

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