Influence of the concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus on the growth and interspecies competition of two red tide algae

The growth and interspecies competition of two red tide algal species Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle et Heimdal and Gymnodinium sp.were studied under different concentration ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus,and the algal batch culture experiments were conducted.The physiological and biochemical indexes were measured periodically,including the maximum comparing growth rate,relative growth rate,average double time and chlorophyll a concentration.The results showed that when the concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus was 16:1,the maximum comparing growth rate,relative growth rate and chlorophyll a concentration of Thalassiosira pseudonana all reached the highest,and average double time was the shortest.This implied that the optimal concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus of Thalassiosira pseudonana is 16:1.When the concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus was 6:1,the maximum comparing growth rate,relative growth rate and the chlorophyll a concentration of Gymnodinium sp.reached the highest,and average double time was the shortest,so the optimal concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus of Gymnodinium sp.is 6:1.From the growth curves as indicated both in the cell density and the chlorophyll a concentration,it is suggested that the influence of concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus on the chlorophyll a concentration and the cell density are almost the same.Different concentration ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus had weak influence on community succession and the competition between the two algae.Gymnodinium sp.may use the phosphorus in vivo for growth,so it is important to pay attention to the concealment of phosphorus,in order to avoid the outbreak of red tide.On the basis of the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus and the ratio of their concentration,the possible outbreak mechanism of red tide of the two algae was also discussed.