Long-term survival of haptophyte and prasinophyte resting stages in marine sediment

Resting stages of marine phytoplankton have been shown to have potential for long-term survival and to remain viable in marine sediments for up to about a century. This study documents for the first time long-term survival in haptophytes and prasinophytes, by germination of resting stages of Isochrysis galbana and Mantoniella squamata from up to 40-year-old sediment layers. Germination was induced by setting up sediment slurries in L1 medium at 15 degrees C. Cyst formation was induced in culture strains acquired from the germinations by keeping mixtures of strains in the light or dark at salinities of 20 or 30. The identity of the two species was confirmed by light and electron microscopy as well as LSU and SSU rDNA-based phylogenetic analyses.