Bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen and its uptake by Ulva prolifera: Implications in the outbreak of a green bloom off the coast of Qingdao, China

Bin Xiu; Sheng-Kang Liang; Xing-Liang He; Xin-Ke Wang; Zheng-Guo Cui; Zhi-Jian Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.057

Bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen and its uptake by Ulva prolifera: Implications in the outbreak of a green bloom off the coast of Qingdao, China

Mar Pollut Bull. 2019 Mar:140:563-572. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.057. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Authors

Bin Xiu¹, Sheng-Kang Liang², Xing-Liang He³, Xin-Ke Wang⁴, Zheng-Guo Cui⁵, Zhi-Jian Jiang⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Shenzhen Marine Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Adiministration of China, Shenzhen 266100, 518107, China.
² College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China. Electronic address: liangsk@ouc.edu.cn.
³ Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Sevey, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁴ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
⁵ Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Qingdao 266071, China. Electronic address: cuizg@ysfri.ac.cn.
⁶ Key laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China.

PMID: 30803677
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.057

Abstract

To investigate bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and its contribution to nitrogen demand for Ulva prolifera, a cruise was conducted during a bloom of U. prolifera in Qingdao coastal waters, China, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and DON components were investigated. Uptakes of both DIN and DON by U. prolifera were synchronously measured onboard using stable isotope techniques. The contribution of DON to total dissolved N (TDN) was >50% and that of labile components (urea and to amino acids, AA) to DON exceeded 30%. Both DIN and DON were utilized by U. prolifera, which uptake NH₄-N preferentially, then urea, NO₃-N and AA in turn; whereas the ranking of turnover times from short to long was AA, NH₄-N, urea and NO₃-N. The high uptake rates and short turnover time of AA and urea indicated that DON may play an important role in the nutrition of U. prolifera.

Keywords: Bioavailability; Dissolved organic nitrogen; Stable isotopes; Turnover time; Ulva prolifera; Uptake rate.

MeSH terms

Biological Availability
China
Eutrophication*
Nitrogen / analysis*
Nitrogen / metabolism
Oceans and Seas
Solubility
Ulva / metabolism*
Urea / analysis*
Urea / metabolism
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Urea
Nitrogen