N. A. Aizdaicher, Zh. V. Markina - Influence of changes in salinity of sea water on the growth, photosynthetic pigment content and cell size of the benthic alga Attheya ussurensis Stonik, Orlova et Crawford, 2006 (Bacillariophyta)

BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2011, Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 455-460

Influence of changes in salinity of sea water on the growth, photosynthetic pigment content and cell size of the benthic alga Attheya ussurensis Stonik, Orlova et Crawford, 2006 (Bacillariophyta)

A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690059

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This study deals with the effect of changes in salinity from 32 to 4‰ (at an interval of ‰) on the growth, chlorophyll α and carotinoid contents, and cell size of the benthic alga Attheya ussurensis (Bacillariophyta). A. ussurensis showed a high tolerance to reduced salinity and ability for adaptation at a salinity from 16 to 12‰, when the cells restored their shape, size, and physiological functions. The number of cells and photosynthetic pigment content were the highest at a salinity of up to 24‰. At 8‰, algal cells remained alive, but the process of cell division was disturbed; as a result, the number of cells was significantly lower than in the control, the cells did not restore their size and shape and remained deformed until the end of the experiment. A drop in salinity to 4‰ caused a complete loss of viability in A. ussurensis within a day of exposure to this factor.

Key words: Attheya ussurensis, photosynthetic pigments, growth, cell size, seawater salinity variation.