Abstract
This study evaluated the responses of wild, adult plants of Enteromorpha compressa, and their progeny, to various copper concentrations. Experiments were designed to test the hypotheses that: 1) individuals of E. compressa from Caleta Palito, a copper-enriched coastal locality, tolerate higher copper concentrations than those from a place with no history of copper pollution and 2) such copper tolerance is under genetic control and therefore, was an inherited character. Our results indicate that algae which inhabit a copper-enriched environment tolerate higher concentrations of copper than those from waters with low copper concentrations. On the other hand, our results suggest that generalizations regarding heritability of the tolerance to copper do not apply to the Chilean E. compressa, as no differences in growth or rhizoid production were found between the progeny from Caleta Palito and Caleta Zenteno. These findings are an indication that heritability and adaptation may represent alternative strategies used by different populations of the same algal species to tolerate copper.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Castilla, J.C.: 1995, ‘Copper mine tailing disposals in northern Chile rocky shores: the chlorophyta Enteromorpha compressa’, Env. Mon. Assess., in press.
Chan, J., Cheung, M., Li, F.: 1974, ‘Trace metals in Hong Kong waters’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 5, 171–174.
Chung, I., Brinkhuis, B.: 1986, ‘Copper effects in early stages of the kelps, Laminaria saccharina’, Mar. Pollut. Bull 17, 213–218.
Cullinane, J.P., Doyle, T.M., Whelan, P.M.: 1987, ‘Uses of seaweeds as biomonitors of zinc levels in Cork harbour, Ireland’, Hidrobiologia 151–152, 285–290.
Daniel, G.F., Chamberlain, H.L.: 1981, ‘Copper inmobilization in fouling diatoms’, Bot. Mar. 24, 229–243
Evans, L., Hoagland, K.: 1986, Algal Biofouling, Elsevier Science Publishers.
Foster, P.L.: 1977, ‘Copper exclusion as a mechanism of heavy metal tolerance in a green alga’, Nature 269, 322–323.
Goodman, C., Newall, M., Russel, G.: 1976, ‘Rapid screening for copper tolerance in ship-fouling algae’, Int. Biodeterior. Bull. 12, 81–83.
Gupta, A., Arora, A.: 1978, ‘Morphology and physiology of Lyngbya nigra with reference to copper toxicity’, Physiol. Plant. 44, 215–220.
Hall, A., Fielding, A., Butler, M.: 1979, ‘Mechanisms of copper tolerance in the marine fouling alga Ectocarpus siliculosus-evidence for an exclusion mechanism’, Mar. Biol. 54, 195–199.
Ho, Y.: 1987, ‘Metals in 19 intertidal macroalgae in Hong Kong waters’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 18, 564–566.
Ho, Y.: 1990, ‘Ulva lactuca as bioindicator of metal contamination in intertidal waters in Hong Kong’, Hydrobiologial 203, 73–81.
Lobban, C., Harrison, P., Duncan, M.: 1985, The Physiological Ecology of Seaweeds, Cambridge University Press.
Maeda, S., Sakaguchi, T.: 1990, ‘Accumulation and detoxification of toxic metal elements by algae’, in: Akatsuka, I. (Ed.), Introduction to Applied Phycology. SPB Academic Publishing., pp. 109–136.
McLachlan, J.: 1982, ‘Inorganic nutrition of marine macro-algae in culture’, in: Srivastava, L.M. (Ed.), Synthetic and Degradative Processes in Marine Macrophytes. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 71–98.
Phillips, D.: 1977, ‘The use of biological indicator organisms to monitor trace metal pollution in marine and estuarine environments—a review’, Environ. Pollut. 13, 281–317.
Provasoli, L.: 1963, ‘Growing marine seaweeds’, in: DeVirville, D., Feldmann, J. (Eds.), Proc. 4th Int. Seaweed Symp. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp. 9–17.
Rai, L., Gaur, J., Kumar, H.: 1981, ‘Phycology and heavy-metal pollution’, Biol. Rev. 56, 99–151.
Reed, R., Moffat, L.: 1983, ‘Copper toxicity and copper tolerance in Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Grev’, J. Exp. Mar. Bio. Ecol. 69, 85–103.
Russell, G., Morris, O.: 1970, ‘Copper tolerance in the marine fouling alga Ectocarpus siliculosus’, Nature 228, 288–289.
Sandman, G.: 1985, ‘Photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport in Cu deficient Dunaliella’, Physiol. Plant. 65, 481–486.
Seeliger, U., Edwards, P.: 1977, ‘Correlation coefficients and concentration factors of copper and lead in seawater and benthic algae’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 8, 16–19.
Seeliger, U., Braga, R.: 1982, ‘Estuarine metal monitoring in southern Brazil’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 13, 253–254.
Seeliger, U., Cordazzo, C.: 1982, ‘Field and experimental evaluation of Enteromorpha sp. As a quali-quantitative monitoring organism for copper and mercury in estuaries’, Environ. Pollut. Series A 29, 197–206.
Shioi, Y., Tamai, H., Sasa, T.: 1978, ‘Inhibition of photosystem II in the green algae Ankistrodesmus falcatus by copper’, Physiol. Plant. 44, 434–438.
Shubert, E. (Ed.): 1984; Algae as Ecological Indicators, Academic Press, Inc.
Silverberg, B.A., Stokes, P.M., Ferstemberg, L.B.: 1976, ‘Intranuclear complexes in a copper tolerant green alga’, J. Cell Biol. 69, 210–214.
Stenner, R., Nickless, G.: 1975, ‘Heavy metals in organisms of the Atlantic coast of South-West spain and Portugal’, Mar. Pollut. Bull. 6 (6), 89–92.
Takamura, N., Kasari, F., Watanabe, M.: 1990, ‘Unique response of Cyanophyceae to copper’, J. Appl. Phycol. 2, 293–296
Talbot, V., Chegwidden, A.: 1982, ‘Cadmiun and other heavy metal concentrations in selected biota from Cockburn Sound, Western Australia’, Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater. Res. 33, 779–788.
Vermeer, K., Castilla, J.C.: 1991, ‘High cadmium resides observed during a pilot study in shorebirds and their prey downstream from the El Salvador Copper Mine, Chile’, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 46, 242–248.
Wallner, M., Seeliger, U., Teixeira, V., Joventino, F., Silva, S.: 1986, ‘Variacoes regionais na concentracao de metais pesados na macroalga Enteromorpha sp. dos estuarios do rio Ceara (Ceara), lagoa de mundau (Alagoas) e lagoa da Tijuca (Rio de Janeiro)’, Arq. Cien. Mar. 25, 41–50.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Correa, J.A., González, P., Sánchez, P. et al. Copper-algae interactions: Inheritance or adaptation?. Environ Monit Assess 40, 41–54 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395166
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395166