engleski

Mucilaginous algal blooms and possible role of chemical cues

In the eutrophic waters of the Northern Adriatic Sea, occasionally, large scale mucilage events cause economic and ecological damage. Mucilaginous algal blooms are becoming more frequent in other seas that are associated with the coastal waters around Europe. Different hypothesis linking biology, hydrography and water chemistry try to explain the occurrence of this phenomenon. Recently, it was revealed that the organic gel phase is important in carbon cycling in the ocean, too. On the basis of the recent data from the Adriatic Sea, in years and seasons of mucilaginous algal blooms, a possible role of chemical cues in marine plankton interactions is considered. The production of infochemicals in trophic defence interactions, particularly the DMSP-DMS-acrylic acid system, might be possible communication mechanism beneficial for algae, regulating grazing on phytoplankton and success of certain bloom forming species.

algal blooms; mucilage; chemical cues; Adriatic Sea

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