Allelopathic Interactions Between the Green-Tide-Forming <i>Ulva prolifera</i> and the Golden-Tide-Forming <i>Sargassum horneri</i> Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions
Ruibin Sun,
Onjira Korboon,
Wenfei Ma,
Xingyue Ren,
Xiaonan Wang,
Narongrit Muangmai,
Qikun Xing,
Xu Gao,
Jingyu Li
Affiliations
Ruibin Sun
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Onjira Korboon
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Wenfei Ma
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Xingyue Ren
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Xiaonan Wang
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Narongrit Muangmai
Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Qikun Xing
Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Xu Gao
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Jingyu Li
Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent a significant global marine ecological disaster. In the Yellow Sea, green and golden tides often occur simultaneously or sequentially, suggesting that interspecific competition involves not only spatial and resource competition but also allelopathy. This study investigated the allelopathic interactions between Ulva prolifera and Sargassum horneri using physiological and biochemical parameters, including relative growth rate (RGR), cell ultrastructure, chlorophyll fluorescence, enzyme activity, and metabolomics analysis. The results showed that S. horneri filtrate significantly inhibited U. prolifera growth, while U. prolifera filtrate had no significant effect on S. horneri. Both algal filtrates caused cellular damage and affected photosynthesis, enzyme activities, and metabolism. However, their allelopathic responses differed: U. prolifera may rely on internal compensatory mechanisms, while S. horneri may depend on defense strategies. These findings provide insights into the dynamics of green and golden tides and support the scientific control of HABs through allelopathy.
