Small-scale turbulence affects the division rate and morphology of two red-tide dinoflagellates

The effects of small-scale turbulence on two species of dinoflagellates were examined in cultures where the turbulent forces came randomly from all directions and were intermittent both spatially and temporally; much like small-scale turbulence in the ocean. With Lingulodinium polyedrum (Stein) Dodge (syn. Gonyaulax polyedra), division rate increased linearly (from similar to0.35 to 0.5 per day) and the mean cross-sectional area (CSA) decreased linearly (from similar to1100 to 750 mum(2)) as a function of the logarithmic increase in turbulence energy dissipation rate (E). These effects were noted when E values increased between similar to10(-8) and 10(-4) m(2) s(-3). However, when E increased to similar to10(-3) m(2) s(-3), division rate sharply decreased and mean CSA increased. Over the same range of epsilon, Alexandrium catenella (Wheedon and Kofoid) Balech had its division rate decrease linearly (from similar to0.6 to 0.45 per day) and its CSA increase linearly (from similar to560 to 650 mum(2)) as a function of the logarithmic increase in epsilon. Even at the highest s examined (similar to10(-3) m(2) s(-3)), which may be unrealistically high for their ambits, both L. polyedra and A. catenella still had fairly high division rates, similar to0.2 and 0.45 per day, respectively. Turbulence strongly affected chain formation in A. catenella. In non-turbulent cultures, the mode was single cells (80-90% of the population), but at e of similar to10(-5) to 10(-4) m(2) s(-3), the mode was 8 cells per chain. At the highest epsilon (similar to10(-3) m(2) s(-3)), the mode decreased to 4 cells per chain. The vertical distributions of A. catenella populations in relation to hydrographic flow fields were studied in the summers of 1997 and 1998 in East Sound, Washington, USA (latitude 48degrees39'N, 122degrees53'W). In both summers, high concentrations of A. catenella were found as a subsurface bloom in a narrow depth interval (similar to2 m), where both current shear and turbulence intensity were at a minimum. Other researchers have shown that A. catenella orients its swimming in shear flows, and that swimming speed increases with chain length. These responses, when combined with our observations, support a hypothesis that A. catenella actively concentrates at depths with low turbulence and shear. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.