Physiological stress modulates epiphyte ( Rhizoclonium sp.)-basiphyte ( Agarophyton chilense ) interaction in co-culture

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Physiological stress modulates epiphyte (Rhizoclonium sp.) -basiphyte (Agarophyton chilense) interaction in co-culture under different light regimes Pablo P. Leal 1

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Johana Ojeda 2

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Carolina Sotomayor 2 & Alejandro H. Buschmann 3

Received: 27 January 2020 / Revised and accepted: 6 May 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020

Abstract Epiphytism is a common phenomenon in macroalgal aquaculture worldwide. This problem can affect the productivity and quality of the farmed species which may have socioeconomic consequences for the human communities that depend on this activity. In southern Chile, the aquaculture of the red macroalga Agarophyton chilense in the area of Maullín River has suffered losses in local production (> 90%) due to the proliferation of the filamentous green epiphyte Rhizoclonium sp. This epiphyte becomes entangled with A. chilense fronds, diminishing its quality and preventing its sale as raw material. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of light intensity (90 and 180 μmol photons m−2 s−1) on the competitive interaction between the epiphyte Rhizoclonium sp. and the basiphyte A. chilense co-cultured at different initial biomass proportions in a replace series experiment. At the end of the experiment, the presence of Rhizoclonium sp. did not affect negatively the growth of A. chilense, but both species showed stress responses (i.e. reduced Fv/Fm and C:N ratio, suggesting nutrient limitation) in co-culture compared with monocultures. The epiphyte-basiphyte interaction was not modulated by light availability at any initial co-culture proportion and could have been related to nutrient availability during experimentation. Using the replacement series approach, an interspecific competition was observed at all initial co-culture proportion under 180 μmol photons m−2 s−1 while competition was found at the initial co-culture 1:1 under 90 μmol photons m−2 s−1. Our results suggest that the interaction in co-culture between both A. chilense and Rhizoclonium sp. seems to be regulated by nutrient availability as well as it demands utilization rather than light availability. Keywords Aquaculture . Competition . Epiphytism . Nutrients . PAR . Replacement series . Rhodophyta . Chlorophyta

Introduction Marine macroalgae experience interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. Within biotic interactions, inter and intraspecific competition for resources can occur with other macroalgae (Hurd et al. 2014). Epiphytism is a common interaction between macroalgae, where an epiphyte * Johana Ojeda [email protected] 1

Departamento de Repoblación y Cultivo, División de Investigación en Acuicultura, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Balmaceda 252, Casilla 665, Puerto Montt, Chile

2

Departamento de Medio Ambiente, División de Investigación en Acuicultura, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Balmaceda 252, Casilla 665, Puerto Montt, Chile

3

Centro i∼mar & CeBiB, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino Chinquihue km 6, Puerto Montt, Chile

grows on the surface of a basiphyte (i.e. substratum species), having often