Research note: Identity of the Qingdao algal bloom

SUMMARY In early July 2008, news agencies worldwide reported on a vast algal bloom that was threatening the upcoming Olympic sailing events in Qingdao, China. The identity of the culpable alga, however, remained undiscussed. We have identified the alga that caused the bloom by means of morphological...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phycological research 2009-06, Vol.57 (2), p.147-151
Main Authors: Leliaert, Frederik, Zhang, Xiaowen, Ye, Naihao, Malta, Erik-jan, Engelen, Aschwin H., Mineur, Frédéric, Verbruggen, Heroen, De Clerck, Olivier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
China
Enteromorpha
Enteromorpha prolifera
green algae
green tide
harmful algal bloom
Marine
Olympic Games
Ulva
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:SUMMARY In early July 2008, news agencies worldwide reported on a vast algal bloom that was threatening the upcoming Olympic sailing events in Qingdao, China. The identity of the culpable alga, however, remained undiscussed. We have identified the alga that caused the bloom by means of morphological and molecular data, including sequence data of the plastid encoded large subunit ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL) and the nuclear encoded rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The bloom‐forming alga falls within the morphological limits of the green seaweed Ulva prolifera O.F. Müller (‘Enteromorpha prolifera (O.F. Müller) J. Agardh’) but our phylogenetic analyses show that it forms a clade with representatives of the Ulva linza‐procera‐prolifera (LPP) complex. The Chinese rbcL sequences are identical to those of specimens collected from Japan, New Zealand, Finland and Portugal, suggesting that the taxon is widely distributed. rDNA ITS sequences showed a close affinity with Japanese isolates of the species complex. The Qingdao bloom is a typical illustration of a green tide, which occurs increasingly along several coasts worldwide.
ISSN:1322-0829
1440-1835
DOI:10.1111/j.1440-1835.2009.00532.x