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Grazer‐induced defence in Phaeocystis globosa (Prymnesiophyceae): Influence of different nutrient conditions
Author(s) -
Lundgren Veronica,
li Edna GranÉ
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2010.55.5.1965
Subject(s) - nutrient , biology , algae , phosphorus , botany , zoology , ecology , chemistry , organic chemistry
We examined the combined effects of grazer infochemicals and nutrient status on colony development of Phaeocystis globosa cultures grown under nitrogen and phosphorus (NP)‐sufficient, P‐deficient, and N‐deficient conditions exposed to high and low Acartia spp. density filtrates. Changes in colony development relative to controls receiving no grazer signals were estimated. P. globosa colony development responded to grazer infochemicals regardless of nutrient status, although the expression of the response varied between nutrients. Significant colony suppression (in terms of percent of cells allocated to colonies) occurred in both NP‐sufficient and P‐deficient experiments, with the response being dependent on the density of grazers for NP‐sufficient cells. The percent of cells in colonial form in N‐deficient P. globosa decreased in response to low grazer density filtrates but increased in response to high grazer density filtrates. These opposite results for the N‐deficient experiment are related to a high mortality of Acartia in the high grazer density filtrate treatment, which may affect the infochemicals released from such grazers.