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Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tides have caused great economic losses in the aquaculture industry in many countries. To investigate the roles of metazooplankton in red tide dynamics of C. polykrikoides in the South Sea of Korea, the abundance of metazooplankton was measured at 60 stations over 1- or 2-week intervals from May to November 2014. In addition, the grazing impacts of dominant metazooplankton on red tide species and their potential heterotrophic protistan grazers were estimated by combining field data on the abundance of red tide species, heterotrophic protist grazers, and dominant metazooplankton with data obtained from the literature concerning ingestion rates of the grazers on red tide species and heterotrophic protists. The mean abundance of total metazooplankton at each sampling time during the study was 297-1,119 individuals m-3. The abundance of total metazooplankton was significantly positively correlated with that of phototrophic dinoflagellates (p < 0.01), but it was not significantly correlated with water temperature, salinity, and the abundance of diatoms, euglenophytes, cryptophytes, heterotrophic dinoflagellates, tintinnid ciliates, and naked ciliates (p > 0.1). Thus, dinoflagellate red tides may support high abundance of total metazooplankton. Copepods dominated metazooplankton assemblages at all sampling times except from Jul 11 to Aug 6 when cladocerans and hydrozoans dominated. The calculated maximum grazing coefficients attributable to calanoid copepods on C. polykrikoides and Prorocentrum spp. were 0.018 and 0.029 d-1, respectively. Therefore, calanoid copepods may not control populations of C. polykrikoides or Prorocentrum spp. Furthermore, the maximum grazing coefficients attributable to calanoid copepods on the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Polykrikos spp. and Gyrodinium spp., which were grazers on C. polykrikoides and Prorocentrum spp., respectively, were 0.008 and 0.047 d-1, respectively. Therefore, calanoid copepods may not reduce grazing impact by these heterotrophic dinoflagellate grazers on populations of the red tide dinoflagellates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many dinoflagellates produce bioluminescence. To estimate the intensity of bioluminescence produced by populations of the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Noctiluca scintillans and Polykrikos kofoidii and autotrophic dinoflagellate Alexandrium mediterraneum in Korean waters, we measured cellular bioluminescence intensity as a function of water temperature and calculated population bioluminescence intensity with cell abundances and water temperature. The mean 200-second-integrated bioluminescence intensity per cell (BLcell) of N. scintillans satiated with the chlorophyte Dunaliella salina decreased continuously with increasing water temperature from 5 to 25°C. However, the BLcell of P. kofoidii satiated with the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum continuously increased from 5 to 15°C but decreased at temperatures exceeding this (to 30°C). Similarly, the BLcell of A. mediterraneum continuously increased from 10 to 20°C but decreased between 20 and 30°C. The difference between highest and lowest BLcell of N. scintillans, P. kofoidii, and A. mediterraneum at the tested water temperatures was 3.5, 11.8, and 21.0 times, respectively, indicating that water temperature clearly affected BLcell. The highest estimated population bioluminescence intensity (BLpopul) of N. scintillans in Korean waters in 1998-2022 was 4.22 × 1013 relative light unit per liter (RLU L-1), which was 1,850 and 554,000 times greater than that of P. kofoidii and A. mediterraneum, respectively. This indicates that N. scintillans populations produced much brighter bioluminescence in Korean waters than the populations of P. kofoidii or A. mediterraneum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some species in the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium are bioluminescent. Of the 33 formally described Alexandrium species, the bioluminescence capability of only nine species have been tested, and eight have been reported to be bioluminescent. The present study investigated the bioluminescence capability of seven Alexandrium species that had not been tested. Alexandrium mediterraneum, A. pohangense, and A. tamutum were bioluminescent, but A. andersonii, A. hiranoi, A. insuetum, and A. pseudogonyaulax were not. We also measured the bioluminescent intensity of A. affine, A. fraterculus, A. mediterraneum, A. ostenfeldii, A. pacificum, A. pohangense, A. tamarense, and A. tamutum. The mean 200-second-integrated bioluminescence intensity per cell ranged from 0.02 to 32.2 χ 104 relative luminescence unit per cell (RLU cell-1), and the mean maximum bioluminescence intensity per cell per second (BLMax) ranged from 0.01 to 10.3 χ 104 RLU cell-1 s-1. BLMax was significantly correlated with the maximum growth rates of Alexandrium species, except for A. tamarense. A phylogenetic tree based on large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) showed that the bioluminescent species A. affine, A. catenella, A. fraterculus, A. mediterraneum, A. pacificum, and A. tamarense formed a large clade. However, the toxicity or mixotrophic capability of these species was split. Thus, their bioluminescence capability in this clade was more consistent than their toxicity or mixotrophic capability. Phylogenetic trees based on LSU rDNA and the luciferase gene of Alexandrium were consistent except for A. pohangense. The results of the present study can provide a basis for understanding the interspecific diversity in bioluminescence of Alexandrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixotrophic dinoflagellate Tripos furca causes red tides in the waters of many countries. To understand its population dynamics, mortality due to predation as well as growth rate should be assessed. Prior to the present study, the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Noctiluca scintillans, Polykrikos kofoidii, Protoperidinium steinii, and mixotrophic dinoflagellate Fragilidium subglobosum were known to ingest T. furca. However, if other common heterotrophic protists are able to feed on T. furca has not been tested. We explored interactions between T. furca and nine heterotrophic dinoflagellates and one naked ciliate. Furthermore, we investigated the abundance of T. furca and common heterotrophic protists in coastal-offshore waters off Yeosu, southern Korea, on Jul 31, 2020, during its red tide. Among the tested heterotrophic protists, the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Aduncodinium glandula, Luciella masanensis, and Pfiesteria piscicida were able to feed on T. furca. However, the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodiniellum shiwhaense, Gyrodinium dominans, Gyrodinium jinhaense, Gyrodinium moestrupii, Oblea rotunda, Oxyrrhis marina, and the naked ciliate Rimostrombidium sp. were unable to feed on it. However, T. furca did not support the growth of A. glandula, L. masanensis, or P. piscicida. Red tides dominated by T. furca prevailed in the South Sea of Korea from Jun 30 to Sep 5, 2020. The maximum abundance of heterotrophic dinoflagellates in the waters off Yeosu on Jul 31, 2020, was as low as 5.0 cells mL-1, and A. glandula, L. masanensis, and P. piscicida were not detected. Furthermore, the abundances of the known predators F. subglobosum, N. scintillans, P. kofoidii, and Protoperidinium spp. were very low or negligible. Therefore, no or low abundance of effective predators might be partially responsible for the long duration of the T. furca red tides in the South Sea of Korea in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrence of Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tides have resulted in considerable economic losses in the aquaculture industry in many countries, and thus predicting the process of C. polykrikoides red tides is a critical step toward minimizing those losses. Models predicting red tide dynamics define mortality due to predation as one of the most important parameters. To investigate the roles of heterotrophic protists in red tide dynamics in the South Sea of Korea, the abundances of heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HTDs), tintinnid ciliates (TCs), and naked ciliates (NCs) were measured over one- or two-week intervals from May to Nov 2014. In addition, the grazing impacts of dominant heterotrophic protists on each red tide species were estimated by combining field data on red tide species abundances and dominant heterotrophic protist grazers with data obtained from the literature concerning ingestion rates of the grazers on red tide species. The abundances of HTDs, TCs, and NCs over the course of this study were high during or after red tides, with maximum abundances of 82, 49, and 35 cells mL-1, respectively. In general, the dominant heterotrophic protists differed when different species caused red tides. The HTDs Polykrikos spp. and NCs were abundant during or after C. polykrikoides red tides. The mean and maximum calculated grazing coefficients of Polykrikos spp. and NCs on populations of co-occurring C. polykrikoides were 1.63 d-1 and 12.92 d-1, respectively. Moreover, during or after red tides dominated by the phototrophic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum donghaiense, Ceratium furca, and Alexandrium fraterculus, which formed serial red tides prior to the occurrence of C. polykrikoides red tides, the HTDs Gyrodinium spp., Polykrikos spp., and Gyrodinium spp., respectively were abundant. The maximum calculated grazing coefficients attributable to dominant heterotrophic protists on co-occurring P. donghaiense, C. furca, and A. fraterculus were 13.12, 4.13, and 2.00 d-1, respectively. Thus, heterotrophic protists may sometimes have considerable potential grazing impacts on populations of these four red tide species in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ichthyotoxic Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tides have caused great economic losses in the aquaculture industry in the waters of Korea and other countries. Predicting outbreak of C. polykrikoides red tides 1-2 weeks in advance is a critical step in minimizing losses. In the South Sea of Korea, large C. polykrikoides red tide patches have often been recorded offshore and transported to nearshore waters. To explore the processes of offshore C. polykrikoides red tides, temporal variations in 3-dimensional (3-D) distributions of red tide organisms and environmental parameters were investigated by analyzing 4,432 water samples collected from 2-5 depths of 60 stations in the South Sea, Korea 16 times from May to Nov, 2014. In the study area, the vegetative cells of C. polykrikoides were found as early as May 7, but C. polykrikoides red tide patches were observed from Aug 21 until Oct 9. Cochlodinium red tides occurred in both inner and outer stations. Prior to the occurrence of large C. polykrikoides red tides, the phototrophic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum donghaiense (Jun 12 to Jul 11), Ceratium furca (Jul 11 to Aug 21), and Alexandrium fraterculus (Aug 21) formed red tides in sequence, and diatom red tides formed 2-3 times without a certain distinct pattern. The temperature for the optimal growth of these four red tide dinoflagellates is known to be similar. Thus, the sequence of the maximum growth rates of P. donghaiense > C. furca > A. fraterculus > C. polykrikoides may be partially responsible for this sequence of red tides in the inner stations following high nutrients input in the surface waters because of heavy rains. Furthermore, Cochlodinium red tides formed and persisted at the outer stations when NO3 concentrations of the surface waters were <2 µM and thermocline depths were >20 m with the retreat of deep cold waters, and the abundance of the competing red-tide species was relatively low. The sequence of the maximum swimming speeds and thus potential reachable depths of C. polykrikoides > A. fraterculus > C. furca > P. donghaiense may be responsible for the large C. polykrikoides red tides after the small blooms of the other dinoflagellates. Thus, C. polykrikoides is likely to outgrow over the competitors at the outer stations by descending to depths >20 m and taking nutrients up from deep cold waters. Thus, to predict the process of Cochlodinium red tides in the study area, temporal variations in 3-D distributions of red tide organisms and environmental parameters showing major nutrient sources, formation and depth of thermoclines, intrusion and retreat of deep cold waters, and the abundance of competing red tide species should be well understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival of free-living and symbiotic dinoflagellates [Symbiodinium spp.) in coral reefs is critical to the maintenance of a healthy coral community. Most coral reefs exist in oligotrophic waters, and their survival strategy in such nutrient-depleted waters remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that two strains of Symbiodinium spp. cultured from the environment and acquired from the tissues of the coral Alveopora japonica had the ability to feed heterotrophically. Symbiodinium spp. fed on heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria {Synechococcus spp.), and small microalgae in both nutrient-replete and nutrient-depleted conditions. Cultured free-living Symbiodinium spp. displayed no autotrophic growth under nitrogen-depleted conditions, but grew when provided with prey. Our results indicate that Symbiodinium spp.'s mixotrophic activity greatly increases their chance of survival and their population growth under nitrogen- depleted conditions, which tend to prevail in coral habitats. In particular, free-living Symbiodinium cells acquired considerable nitrogen from algal prey, comparable to or greater than the direct uptake of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, or urea. In addition, freeliving Symbiodinium spp. can be a sink for planktonic cyanobacteria {Synechococcus spp.) and remove substantial portions of Synechococcus populations from coral reef waters. Our discovery of Symbiodinium's feeding alters our conventional views of the survival strategies of photosynthetic Symbiodinium and corals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]