Nitrate metabolism of the red tide dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra Stein

Certain idiosyncracies in the metabolism of nitrogen and diurnal vertical migration may account for the development and persistence of Gonyaulax polyedra Stein red tides along the Southern California Coast. In culture, G. polyedra has the ability for both uptake and assimilation of nitrate in the da...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1976-03, Vol.21 (3), p.199-209
Main Author: Harrison, William G.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Certain idiosyncracies in the metabolism of nitrogen and diurnal vertical migration may account for the development and persistence of Gonyaulax polyedra Stein red tides along the Southern California Coast. In culture, G. polyedra has the ability for both uptake and assimilation of nitrate in the dark and this together with its enhancement by previous N-starvation could enable these dinoflagellates to meet 50–100 % of their daily nitrogen requirements for growth from dark assimilation alone. Less pronounced light-dark variations in nitrate assimilation and a greater stability of the nitrate assimilatory enzymes, together with the ability to migrate into nitrate-rich subsurface waters at night, probably give G. polyedra and other red tide dinoflagellates a competitive advantage over coastal diatoms during the ‘upwelling season’, when most red tides occur.
ISSN:0022-0981
1879-1697
DOI:10.1016/0022-0981(76)90115-5