What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?

This study explores the interaction between <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> and <i>Daphnia magna</i> under low-salinity conditions. <i>P. parvum</i> showed reduced growth below 0.4 PSU and peaked at 1.0 PSU within the tested 0.2–1.0 PSU range. <i>D. magna</i>...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marta Galas, Marta Grabska, Maksymilian Zienkiewicz, Tomasz Krupnik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1796
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849431563371020288
author Marta Galas
Marta Grabska
Maksymilian Zienkiewicz
Tomasz Krupnik
author_facet Marta Galas
Marta Grabska
Maksymilian Zienkiewicz
Tomasz Krupnik
author_sort Marta Galas
collection DOAJ
description This study explores the interaction between <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> and <i>Daphnia magna</i> under low-salinity conditions. <i>P. parvum</i> showed reduced growth below 0.4 PSU and peaked at 1.0 PSU within the tested 0.2–1.0 PSU range. <i>D. magna</i>, exposed to <i>P. parvum</i> across 0.0–6.0 PSU, experienced increased mortality at 4.0 and 6.0 PSU, but tolerated 0.0–1.0 PSU well and grazed actively on <i>P. parvum</i> without significant vitality loss. This range reflects conditions observed in the Oder River during the 2022 fish die-off. The count of <i>P. parvum</i> cells did not vary significantly across the 0.2 to 1.0 PSU range of salinities in <i>D. magna</i> presence, except at 0.6 PSU. All daphnids survived even at <i>P. parvum</i> densities of 1 × 10<sup>5</sup> cells/mL, though increasing algal concentrations reduced juvenile growth rates. Direct observation under a microscope confirmed algal ingestion. Toxin accumulation in cells and medium likely reduced grazing efficiency via allelopathic effects. The study assessed whether <i>D. magna</i> can tolerate prymnesins while maintaining feeding under varying salinities. Results suggest that <i>Daphnia magna</i> could act as a biological suppressor of golden algae under certain environmental conditions, though further work is needed to quantify grazing efficiency and prymnesins concentrations.
format Article
id doaj-art-b57b617ced1c473f924cb7bf9203c19d
institution Kabale University
issn 2223-7747
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Plants
spelling doaj-art-b57b617ced1c473f924cb7bf9203c19d2025-08-20T03:27:36ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011412179610.3390/plants14121796What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?Marta Galas0Marta Grabska1Maksymilian Zienkiewicz2Tomasz Krupnik3Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 01-096 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 01-096 Warsaw, PolandThis study explores the interaction between <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> and <i>Daphnia magna</i> under low-salinity conditions. <i>P. parvum</i> showed reduced growth below 0.4 PSU and peaked at 1.0 PSU within the tested 0.2–1.0 PSU range. <i>D. magna</i>, exposed to <i>P. parvum</i> across 0.0–6.0 PSU, experienced increased mortality at 4.0 and 6.0 PSU, but tolerated 0.0–1.0 PSU well and grazed actively on <i>P. parvum</i> without significant vitality loss. This range reflects conditions observed in the Oder River during the 2022 fish die-off. The count of <i>P. parvum</i> cells did not vary significantly across the 0.2 to 1.0 PSU range of salinities in <i>D. magna</i> presence, except at 0.6 PSU. All daphnids survived even at <i>P. parvum</i> densities of 1 × 10<sup>5</sup> cells/mL, though increasing algal concentrations reduced juvenile growth rates. Direct observation under a microscope confirmed algal ingestion. Toxin accumulation in cells and medium likely reduced grazing efficiency via allelopathic effects. The study assessed whether <i>D. magna</i> can tolerate prymnesins while maintaining feeding under varying salinities. Results suggest that <i>Daphnia magna</i> could act as a biological suppressor of golden algae under certain environmental conditions, though further work is needed to quantify grazing efficiency and prymnesins concentrations.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1796<i>Prymnesium parvum</i><i>Daphnia magna</i>harmful algae blooms (HABs)
spellingShingle Marta Galas
Marta Grabska
Maksymilian Zienkiewicz
Tomasz Krupnik
What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
Plants
<i>Prymnesium parvum</i>
<i>Daphnia magna</i>
harmful algae blooms (HABs)
title What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
title_full What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
title_fullStr What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
title_full_unstemmed What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
title_short What Is the Potential of <i>Daphnia</i> (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of <i>Prymnesium parvum</i> (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
title_sort what is the potential of i daphnia i water flea predation as a means of biological suppression of i prymnesium parvum i golden algae blooms in ecologically relevant conditions
topic <i>Prymnesium parvum</i>
<i>Daphnia magna</i>
harmful algae blooms (HABs)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1796
work_keys_str_mv AT martagalas whatisthepotentialofidaphniaiwaterfleapredationasameansofbiologicalsuppressionofiprymnesiumparvumigoldenalgaebloomsinecologicallyrelevantconditions
AT martagrabska whatisthepotentialofidaphniaiwaterfleapredationasameansofbiologicalsuppressionofiprymnesiumparvumigoldenalgaebloomsinecologicallyrelevantconditions
AT maksymilianzienkiewicz whatisthepotentialofidaphniaiwaterfleapredationasameansofbiologicalsuppressionofiprymnesiumparvumigoldenalgaebloomsinecologicallyrelevantconditions
AT tomaszkrupnik whatisthepotentialofidaphniaiwaterfleapredationasameansofbiologicalsuppressionofiprymnesiumparvumigoldenalgaebloomsinecologicallyrelevantconditions