Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Table of Contents - 1979 - Volume 59, Issue 01  

Research Article

Fate of biologically accumulated copper in growing and decomposing thalli Of two benthic red marine algae

U. Seeligera1 and P. Edwardsa2

a1 Base Oceanográfica Atlântica, Fundaçâo Universidade do Rio Grande, Caixa Postal 474, 96.200-Rio Grande-RS, Brazil

a2 Environmental Engineering Division, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 2754, Bangkok, Thailand

Two benthic Rhodophyta, Ceramium pedicellatwn and Neogardhiella baileyi, were cultured in the laboratory to investigate uptake and subsequent release of Cu by both living and decomposing thalli. Concentration factors of Cu in the thalli of 4540-6864 were obtained. Algae grown initially in copper-supplemented media were cultured for 7 days in organic free medium and the amounts of Cu associated with the dissolved inorganic and organic fractions were then determined.