Salinity and the Ecology of Dunaliella from Great Salt Lake
Brock, T. D.,, 89, 285-292 (1975),
doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-89-2-285,
publicationName = Microbiology Society,
issn = 1350-0872,
abstract= SUMMARY: Studies are reported on the distribution and salinity tolerances of populations of Dunaliella, a eucaryotic alga, in Great Salt Lake, Utah, U.S.A. This lake provides salinities varying from about 10 % (w/v) NaCl to saturated (greater than 30 % w/v). The alga is found throughout this salinity range, although population density varies markedly, mainly because of the influence of grazing animals in waters of low salinity. Enrichment cultures were set up using a range of salinities; at the lower salinities a wide variety of algae grew, but at the higher ones only Dunaliella was obtained. However, cultures derived from saturated brine and grown at salinities of around 25 % (w/v) were not optimally adapted to these conditions, but grew and photosynthesized better in 10 to 15 % (w/v) NaCl. A natural population from a saturated brine also had an optimum at a lower salinity than its habitat. It is concluded that although this eucaryotic alga is able to grow in saturated brine better than any other alga, it is not optimally adapted to these conditions and is apparently able to maintain populations at high salinity only because it meets no competition from other algae.,
language=,
type=