Rapid expansion of Ulva blooms in the Yellow Sea, China through sexual reproduction and vegetative growth

Jianjun Cui; Jinting Shi; Jianheng Zhang; Lintao Wang; Shaoying Fan; Zhenyang Xu; Yuanzi Huo; Qiaoyun Zhou; Yuwei Lu; Peimin He

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.036

Rapid expansion of Ulva blooms in the Yellow Sea, China through sexual reproduction and vegetative growth

Mar Pollut Bull. 2018 May:130:223-228. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.036. Epub 2018 Mar 26.

Authors

Jianjun Cui¹, Jinting Shi², Jianheng Zhang³, Lintao Wang², Shaoying Fan⁴, Zhenyang Xu⁴, Yuanzi Huo², Qiaoyun Zhou², Yuwei Lu², Peimin He⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan.
² College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
³ College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: jh-zhang@shou.edu.cn.
⁴ Shanghai High School, Shanghai 200231, China.
⁵ College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: pmhe@shou.edu.cn.

PMID: 29866551
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.036

Abstract

Green algal blooms have occurred in the Yellow Sea for 11 consecutive years since 2007. A "seed bank" comprising micro-propagules including gametes, meiospores, and zygotes, played an important role in the rapid formation of a green tide. In the present study, germination differences among zygotes, meiospores, and gametes were examined. The growth ability and maturation period of alternating generations of sexual Ulva prolifera strains were also assessed. The zygote and meiospore germination rate was 91.67% and 80.29%, respectively, approximately three times greater than that of gametes (30%). In addition, the highest daily growth rate of sporophytes and gametophytes was 266.7% and 288.1%, respectively, and the maturation period of sporophytes and gametophytes was 35.7 and 31.3 days, respectively. These results indicate that sexual reproduction and vegetative growth are mainly responsible for the rapid expansion of macroalgal blooms in the Yellow Sea.

Keywords: Germination rate; Macroalgal blooms; Sexual reproduction; Ulva prolifera; Vegetative growth.

MeSH terms

China
Eutrophication*
Germ Cells, Plant / physiology*
Germination*
Reproduction, Asexual*
Ulva / growth & development*