• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.147-151
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• 1998

The reproductive phenology of Gracilaria verrucosa was studied in Cheongsapo near Pusan, Korea. Among the life history phases, tetrasporic plants occurred dominantly in varying degrees of abundance throughout the year except from July to September. Cystocarpic plants increased rapidly during summer, and then recorded maximum abundance in July. Whereas, seasonal peaks of spermatangial plants were observed in April and September. However, they were less than cystocarpic plants in abundance. Vegetative plants dominated from December to May for long period, with a occurrence peak in February. Even though fertile plants in both gametophytes and tetrasporophytes occurred throughout the year, their seasonal abundance suggests that the positive correlation between reproduction and water temperature is basically found in the reproductive pattern of Gracilaria verrucosa. The distributional aspect of life history phases appears to be related with differences of their longevity, fecundity or survivorship.

• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-48
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• 2006

The genus Martensia (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) is characterized by thalli composed of one to several blades that consist of proximal membranous sections and distal latticework. Nerves or veins are absent in the membranous sections. The life cycle of Martensia is accomplished by isomorphic alternation of generations. The gametophytes of Martensia are dioecious, and the male and female gametangial plants are morphologically similar. The type species of Martensia is M. elegans Hering. In this study, nine species were confirmed to occur in the subtidal regions of Jeju Island, Korea: M. albida sp. nov., M. australis Harvey, M. bibarii Y. Lee, M. elegans Hering, M. flammifolia sp. nov, M. fragilis Harvey, M. jejuensis Y. Lee, M. palmata Y. Lee, and M. projecta Y. Lee. Three of these, M. australis, M. fragilis, and M. elegans, are new records in the flora of Korea. The results of molecular analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 region in the nrDNA showed that M. elegans is identical to M. australis, and M. fragilis coincides with M. bibarii. It may be a less effective tool for the species discrimination in Martensia.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 2017

Kelp forests and the many vital ecosystem services they provide are threatened as the severity of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors continues to mount. Particularly in the North Pacific, sea surface temperature is warming and glacial melt is decreasing salinity. This study explored the resiliency of early life-history stages of these foundation species through a factorial laboratory experiment. The effects of rising sea surface temperature under low salinity conditions on kelp spore settlement and initial gametophyte growth in Eualaria fistulosa, Nereocystis luetkeana, and Saccharina latissima were investigated. Decreased settlement and growth were observed in these species at elevated temperatures and at low salinity. Eualaria fistulosa spores and gametophytes were the most negatively impacted, compared to the more widely distributed N. luetkeana and S. latissima. These results suggest that N. luetkeana and S. latissima could potentially outperform E. fistulosa under projected conditions. However, despite decreased performance among all species, our findings indicate that these species are largely resilient to temperature changes when exposed to a low salinity, even when the temperature changes are immediate and extreme. By exploring how early life-history stages of several key kelp species are impacted by dual stressors, this research enhances our understanding of how kelp forests will respond to projected and extreme changes in temperature when already stressed by low salinity.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1996

Morphology and reproduction of Polysiphonia atlantica Kapraun et J. Norris were studied on the basis of field and laboratory cultured materials collected from the coast of Korea. The plants consisted of prostrate and erect axes with an extremely soft flaccid texture. Axes were ecorticated and had four pericentral cells. The plants except for female gametophytes had few trichoblasts. Branches in the upper portion of the thallus grew to the same level, resulting in a flat-top form. Tetrasporangia were arranged in straight series. Spermatangial branches replaced whole trichoblasts and had a 1-2 celled serile tip. The procarp had a four celled carpogonial branch. After fertilization, the carpogonium contancted the surface of the supporting cell. The formation of the auxiliary cell from the supporting cell was somewhat delayed P. atlantica from Korea was similar to P. subtilissima Montagne in some features. However, the taxonomic differences between the two species were identified in the development of branches and the number of sterile cells at the tip of spermatangial branches.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2021

Kelp life history pathways alternate between macroscopic sporophytes that produce spores and microscopic gametophytes that produce gametes. Occasionally, an alternative pathway is seen. This study examined the circumstances by which the high latitude estuarine bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, foregoes the "free-living microscopic stages by releasing embryonic sporophytes directly from sori. Sori were collected from adult N. luetkeana sporophytes from eight locations within Kachemak Bay, Alaska in 2018 and 2020 to examine spatial and temporal development of embryonic sporophytes on sori. Distinctions were made between sori collected from first-generation and overwintered adults to assess the influence of parental age on embryonic sporophyte release. Further distinctions were made between sori collected from attached and drifting individuals to assess the influence of the status of parental attachment to substrate on embryonic sporophyte release. Inspection of propagules released from sori after 48-h incubations indicated that embryonic sporophytes were occasionally released alongside viable spores. Though embryonic sporophytes were released from sori as early as spring, it was not evident that they were bound by seasonal or spatial limits. The percent of propagules that were embryonic sporophytes ranged from 0% to 100% but were not significantly different between first-generation and overwintered adults, nor were they different between attached and drifting individuals. Nevertheless, the characteristic of directly releasing embryonic sporophytes from adult sporophytes might have ecological advantages for N. luetkeana.

• ALGAE
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2023

The oomycete pathogens Pythium porphyrae, causing red rot disease, and Olpidiopsis spp. causing Olpidiopsis-blight, cause serious economic losses to Pyropia sea farms in Korea. During the washing step for Pyropia processing, these pathogens proliferate rapidly, significantly reducing the quality of the final product. To develop non-acidic treatments for these pathogens, various calcium salts were tested against the infectivity of P. porphyrae and Olpidiopsis pyropiae on Pyropia gametophytes, and calcium propionate was the most effective. When Pyropia blades were immersed in 10 mM calcium propionate for 1 h after inoculation with the oomycete pathogen, infection rate of both oomycete pathogens on day 2 was significantly lower (7.1%) than control (>95%). Brief incubation of Pyropia blades in calcium propionate also reduced the spread of infection. The infected area of Pyropia thallus was reduced to 14.3% of the control in 2 days after treatment with 100 mM calcium propionate for 30 s. In field experiments conducted in actual aquaculture farms, it has been shown that a brief 30 s wash every two weeks with 100 mM calcium propionate can effectively reduce the spread of oomycetes throughout the entire culture period. The above results suggest that calcium propionate can be a useful means for controlling the spread of oomycetes not only during laver processing but also during aquaculture.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.161-174
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• 2004

Phonological, morphological and molecular characteristics of Spatoglossum pacificum Yendo are examined. S. pacificum has an annual life cycle composed of saprophytes with apparent absence of male and female gametophytes in Korea. The seasonal growth of this species explains that the annual growth is closely related to the monthly variation of water temperature. S. pacificum has protruding reproductive structures above the outmost cortical layer. Although this observation is restricted to several species, reproductive structures on the thallus can make S. pacificurn distinguishable from S. crassum and S. lacturn. The morphogenesis of a midrib at the base of S. pacificum in this study is the same as those of Dictyopteris but different from those of S. crassum and S. lacturn, suggesting that S. pacificum is closely related to Dictyopteris. In the comparison of plastid gene sequences among species of Spatoglossum and Dictyopteris, S. pacificum is more similar to D. divaricata and D. undulate than those of S. crassum in rbcL, rbcS, psbA and psaA. This result is congruent with the anatomical characteristic of a midrib at the base of the thallus and the protrusion of reproductive organs on the thallus. The phylogenetic relationship based on these plastid genes also shows that S. pacifism is included in Dictyotpteris Glade and separated from S. crassum. We propose the new combination of Dictyopteris pacifica (Yendo) I.K. Hwang, H.S. Kim et W.J. Lee, comb. nov. based on the differences of anatomical characteristics of the midrib, the existence of reproductive organs on thallus and the molecular analyses.

• ALGAE
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.277-288
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• 2019

Freshwater red algae of the order Batrachospermales are poorly studied in India and Nepal, especially on a molecular basis. During a survey in northeast India and east Nepal, six populations of the genus Sheathia were found and analyzed using molecular and morphological evidence. Phylogenetic analyses based on the rbcL gene sequences grouped all populations in a large clade including our S. arcuata specimens and others from several regions. Sheathia arcuata represents a species complex with a high sequence divergence and several smaller clades. Samples from India and Nepal were grouped in three distinct clades with high support and representing new cryptic species: a clade formed by two samples from India, which was named Sheathia assamica sp. nov.; one sample from India and one from Nepal formed another clade, named Sheathia indonepalensis sp. nov.; two samples from Nepal grouped with sequences from Hawaii and Indonesia (only 'Chantransia' stages) and gametophytes from Taiwan, named Sheathia dispersa sp. nov. Morphological characters of the specimens from these three species overlap one another and with the general circumscription of S. arcuata, which lacks the heterocortication (presence of bulbous cells in the cortical filaments) present in other species of the genus Sheathia. Although the region sampled is relatively restricted, the genetic diversity among specimens of these three groups was high and not closely related in the phylogenetic relationship with the other clades of S. arcuata. These data corroborate information from other groups of organisms (e.g., land and aquatic plants) that indicates this region (Eastern Himalaya) as a hotspot of biodiversity.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.213-224
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• 2020

The freshwater red algal genus Sheathia contains species with heterocortication (both bulbous and cylindrical cells covering the main axis) and homocortication (only cylindrical cells). When the genus was proposed, the species with heterocortication were revised, but all specimens with homocortication were assigned to Sheathia arcuata with the caveat that it may represent a species complex. Recent studies have described new species with homocortication and S. arcuata has been rendered paraphyletic. In the current study, new sequences of the rbcL and 5′ region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I markers were combined with previously published data to construct a robust phylogeny and circumscribe new species. Four new species, S. abscondita, S. californica, S. plantuloides, and S. transpacifica are proposed. Examination of morphological characters among homocorticate species show no diagnostic characters to distinguish among species, whereas S. plantuloides is only known from sporophytes (chantransia) so it lacks the typical morphological characters derived from the gametophytes for comparison. Although DNA sequence data would be needed to make a positive species identification, geography could be employed to narrow the identification to one or two species. The genus is geographically widespread having been recorded from oceanic islands and five continents, whereas the individual species typically occur on a single continent. With this study, the number of species recognized in Sheathia is raised to 17; seven heterocorticate and 10 homocorticate, making this genus one of the most species rich in the Batrachospermales. As well, the resulting phylogeny provides insights into the evolution of heterocortication in Sheathia.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.249-256
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• 2009

The occurrence of Laminarionema elsbetiae (Ectocarpaceae, Phaeophyceae), as epi-endophyte of Rhodymenia pseudopalmata (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta), described from Santa Isabel, Rawson, Argentina. L. elsbetiae grows in the host tissues forming epi-endophytic relationship in the epidermal, cortical and medullar layers. Epiphytic thalli of L. elsbetiae were unbranched filaments emerging from hostis surface. Reproductive structures of L. elsbetiae on the host were absent. On the contrary, free cultured individuals formed different reproductive structures. Macrozoosporangia containing a single large motile zoospore originated from vegetative cells, they were conical to cylindrical in shape, 30-50 ${\mu}m$ in length and 18-20 ${\mu}m$ in wide. Uniseriate plurilocular zoosporangia were cylindrical shape, 40 ${\mu}m$ in length and 10-13 ${\mu}m$ in wide. Sexual fusion was not seen. In mixed cultures of L. elsbetiae with R. pseudopalmata fronds, L. elsbetiae infected the host, grew as in natural host and, formed macrosporangia between host subcortical cells. Gametophytes of L. elsbetiae were filaments with diffuse growth, branched with a branch pattern alternate or opposite. Gametangia were plurilocular, uni or biseriate and lateral. When mature they contained 2 to 6 isogametes. The presence L. elsbetiae on R. pseudopalmata could be defined as an epi-endophytic relationship. The percentage of infection of R. pseudopalmata thalli by L. elsbetiae was 34%.A25% of the infected thalli presented a low, non-symptomatic level infection, whereas a 62% and a 13% of them exhibited respectively moderate and high indexes of infection.