Shannon Point Marine Center Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2008

Keywords

DMSP distribution, green macroalgae, Codium spp., northern New Zealand, eastern Australia, southern Tasmania

Abstract

The sulphonium compound diinethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) is commonly found in temperate green macroalgae. To examine taxonomic and regional and local geographical patterns of DMSP production in Australasian algae, I collected 30 species of green algae from 14 sites in three regions, eastern Australia, Tasmania, Australia, and the North Island of New Zealand. The distribution of DMSP content was similar to that seen from other areas of the world. DMSP was found in high concentrations in Ulva and Codium spp. It tended to be undetectable or in lower concentrations in other members of the orders Bryopsidales and Cladophorales. There was no evidence for differences in concentrations among the three regions in the genera Codium and Ulva; however, the invasive subspecies of Codium fragile, C. fragile ssp. tomentosoides, had significantly higher concentrations of DMSP than the non-invasive subspecies. The herbivorous sea slug Elysia maoria had whole body concentrations that were not significantly different from those of its host alga C. fragile ssp. tomentosoides. The distribution patterns of DMSP in Codium spp. do not support the hypothesis that DMSP is used as an antioxidant in this genus. Based on the data collected here and previous reports from the literature, I speculate that one function of DMSP in these algae may be to deter herbivores.

Publication Title

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Volume

88

Issue

4

First Page

799

Last Page

805

Required Publisher's Statement

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2008, 88(4), 799–805. #2008 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom doi:10.1017/S0025315408001562 Printed in the United Kingdom

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Dimethylpropiothetin--New Zealand; Dimethylpropiothetin--Australia; Dimethylpropiothetin--Tasmania; Green algae--New Zealand; Green algae--Australia; Green algae--Tasmania

Geographic Coverage

New Zealand; Australia; Tasmania

Genre/Form

articles

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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