Variations in Nutrients & CO2 Uptake Rates of Porphyra yezoensis Ueda and a Simple Evaluation of in situ N & C Demand Rates at Aquaculture Farms in South Korea
In order to understand the contribution of seaweed aquaculture to nutrients and carbon cycles in coastal environments, we measured the nutrients & carbon uptake rates of Porphyra yezoensis Ueda sampled at Nakdong-River Estuary using a chamber incubation method from November 2011 to April 2012. It was observed that the production rate of dissolved oxygen by P. yezoensis (n=30~40) was about 68.8±46.0 μmol gFW -1 h-1 and uptake rate of nitrate, phosphate and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was found to be 2.5±1.8 μmol gFW -1 h-1, 0.18±0.11 μmol gFW -1 h-1 and 87.1±57.3 μmol gFW -1 h-1, respectively. There was a positive linear correlation existed between the production rate of dissolved oxygen and the consumption rates of nitrate, phosphate and DIC, respectively, suggesting that these factors may serve as good indicators of P. yezoensis photosynthesis. Further, there was a negative logarithmic relationship between fresh weight of thallus and uptake rates of nutrients and CO2, which suggested that younger specimens (0.1~0.3 g) were much more efficient at nutrients and CO2 uptake than old specimens. It means that the early culturing stage than harvesting season might have more possibilities to be developed chlorosis by high rates of nitrogen uptake. However, N & C demanding rates of Busan and Jeollabuk-do, calculated by monthly mass production and culturing area, were much higher than those of Jeollanam-do, the highest harvesting area in Korea. Chlorosis events at Jeollabuk-do recently might have developed by the reason that heavily culture in narrow area and insufficient nutrients in maximum yield season (Dec.~Jan.) due mostly to shortage of land discharge and weak water circulation. The annual DIC uptake by P. yezoensis in Nakdong-River Estuary was estimated about 5.6×103 CO2 ton, which was about 0.03% of annual carbon dioxide emission of Busan City. Taken together, we suggest more research would be helpful to gain deep insight to evaluate the roles of seaweed aquacul-ture to the coastal nutrients cycles and global carbon cycle.