Resumen del producto

Epibenthic dinoflagellates can form algal blooms that can impact the ecosystem, economy and human health. Coolia represents a genus of epibenthic dinoflagellates of particular interest due to the ecological associations it has with other toxigenic dinoflagellates and its toxin production (e.g., cooliatoxin). Information on the diversity of Coolia in Mexican waters is scarce. Two isolates of Coolia (CMBAPAZ-1 and S/I 72) from Bahía de La Paz, southern Gulf of California, were cultured, and the effects of macroalgal extracts (Dictyota dichotoma) on their growth were determined. Morphological traits and phylogenetic analyses of the 28S rDNA, allowed to identify both strains as Coolia malayensis. The strains were cultured in GSe medium with and without macroalgal extracts: (1) GSe, (2) GSe with a crude extract of D. dichotoma, (3) GSe with a carbohydrate fraction of D. dichotoma and (4) GSe with a non-precipitable fraction of D. dichotoma. There were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in the cell densities of both strains in GSe medium (1) compared with the other treatments. The growth rate and maximum cell density were reported in strain S/I 72 (0.139 ± 0.003 div day-1 and 43,428 ± 4,560 cells mL–1, respectively) in GSe medium with the addition of the non-precipitable fraction of D. dichotoma (4). Our results confirm that the extract and fractions of the macroalga did not favour the growth of either strains of C. malayensis. However, the possibility that this macroalga may provide nutrients for the growth of C. malayensis is not excluded.

Palabras clave: dinoflagellate; Macroalgae; associations

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