THE TOXICITY OF COPPER(II) SPECIES TO MARINE ALGAE, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO MACROALGAE

• Published in: Journal of phycology 1997-02, Vol.33 (1), p.2-11
• Main Authors: Gledhill, Martha, Nimmo, Malcolm, Hill, Stephen J., Brown, Murray T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Marine
• ISSN: 0022-3646; 1529-8817
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1997.00002.x

Ambient concentrations of dissolved copper(II) in seawater are very low, averaging 4 nM in waters with a salinity over 35% (Chester 1990). Levels can increase as a result of natural (e.g. rivers, atmosphere, hydrothermal venting) and anthropogenic (e.g. mines, industry, sewage, antifouling paints) sources. Such increases can have profound effects on organisms in the vicinity, resulting in inhibition of growth, reduced fecundity, and even death (Romeril 1977, Bryan and Langston 1992). Despite the fact that the effects of copper on macroalgae have been studied more extensively than any other metal, the influence of copper speciation on toxicity (and the effect of algae on copper speciation) has rarely been considered. Thus, particular emphasis will be placed on this aspect in this review. It is not intended to review extensively the toxic effects of copper to individual species, as this has been covered in several recent reviews (Rai et al. 1981, Lewis and Cave 1982, Nor 1987, Sunda 1988/1989). Our main purpose is to highlight the importance of speciation when considering the toxic effects of copper and to encourage more biologists to take account of this in their studies of metal pollution.