Abe Mahiko

In order to identify effective amino acid species, survival and growth of Neopyropia yezoensis protoplasts cultured using 18 amino acids were examined. Survival rates of each protoplast cultured for 1 week with arginine, asparagine, ornithine and tyrosine were similar to that of the control condition. Other amino acids significantly reduced the survival rates than the control. Growth of each protoplast cultured for 2 weeks with β-alanine, arginine, glutamine, histidine, lysine, ornithine and phenylalanine were significantly higher than that of the control. Histidine might be useful to make only thallus grow, although survival rate was very low. Arginine and ornithine had potentials to be able to promote the growth without negative influences on the survivals of nori cells.

In order to research useful organic nitrogen, survival and growth of Neopyropia yezoensis protoplasts were examined using L-arginine (Arg), L-glutamic acid (Glu), Inosine (Ino) and taurine in 0.1, 1.0 and 10 mM. For survival rates for 1 week in culture, there were no significant differences except Glu in 1.0 and 10 mM. For growth for 3 weeks in culture, Arg in 10 mM was grown over two-times higher compared with control. On the other hand, growth in Glu and taurine were suppressed under every condition. Moreover, growth in Ino in 10 mM was suppressed. Our data suggested that Neopyropia yezoensis use directly organic nitrogen and has a potential to induce growth using organic nitrogen.

To clarify the effects of intertidal groundwater discharge on macrofaunal community structures of tidal flats, the species richness, abundance and biomass of macrobenthos at the groundwater-seepage area were assessed quantitatively, measuring environmental conditions including sediment temperature, median diameter, ORP and ignition loss, and salinity, water temperature and nutrient concentration of pore water at four sites (Nakatsu River mouth, Sanbyakuken, Higashihama, Oshinden) on the Nakatsu tidal flat, Oita prefecture, Japan, at low tides in June and July, 2019. A total of 1,233 individuals, belonging to 51 macrobenthic species (37 families) were collected. Mean species richness and biomass were significantly greatest at Higashihama, whereas mean abundance was greatest at the Nakatsu River mouth. Lower species richness, abundance and biomass were recorded at Sanbyakuken. At Higashihama, infaunal species such as the bivalve Glauconome angulata and polychaete Ceratonereis erythraeensis were dominant in the lower salinity and higher nutrient environments. A canonical correspondence analysis showed a positive correlation between nutrients and dominant bivalve abundance. The overall results suggested that intertidal groundwater influences the macrofaunal community structure, providing low salinity and nutrient-rich conditions, which contribute to the high productivity and diversity of marine organisms on tidal flats.