ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Ecosystem Ecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1563239
Characteristics and Ecological Effects of Dissolved Organic Matter Released by the Main Causative Macroalgae of Green and Golden Tides in the Yellow Sea
Provisionally accepted
- Jiangsu Ocean Universiity, Lianyungang, China
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Green and golden tides caused by Ulva prolifera and Sargassum horneri erupt annually along the coasts of China. During the late stages of algal blooms, massive macroalgal die-offs result in the release of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can profoundly affect local marine environments and elemental cycles. However, studies addressing these impacts remain insufficient and urgently needed. This study investigates the two primary macroalgal contributors, Ulva prolifera and Sargassum horneri, by simulating their decay and DOM release in seawater using Bacteria-active (BA) and Bacteria-inhibited (BI) groups. The release characteristics of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as their effects on microbial communities, were analyzed. Results show that U. prolifera and S. horneri rapidly release DOM and nutrients during their decay. Significant differences in the quantity and rate of DOM and nutrient release were observed due to structural differences between the two macroalgae. Carbohydrates constitute the major component of the released organic matter and are rapidly utilized by microbes for growth and reproduction. Furthermore, the DOM and nutrients released by macroalgae reshape the composition of microbial communities in the marine microenvironment. This study provides new insights into the potential regional marine ecological impacts of green and golden tide outbreaks from a biogeochemical perspective.
Keywords: macroalgae, dissolved organic matter, Nutrients, microbial communities, algal blooms
Received: 20 Jan 2025; Accepted: 05 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Sui, Huo, Wen, Ren, Li and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tao Zhang, Jiangsu Ocean Universiity, Lianyungang, China
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