Phycology

The mitigation of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is a much-researched and ongoing challenge. Seasonal influences, microbial diversity, and the wide range of cyanotoxins known to be associated with cyanobacterial blooms add layers of complexity to these environmental threats. Strategies to remediate blooms must avoid inducing widespread cell lysis and the release of cyanotoxins, which would compound rather than address the problem. Bacterial isolates have been found to be effective in bloom mitigation and can impact the diversity associated with the bloom. The present study reports on the exposure of non-axenic cultures of colonial Microcystis sp. and filamentous Oscillatoria sp. isolated from dams in South Africa to low ratios of four antagonistic bacterial isolates for 4 days. TEM was used to assess ultrastructural changes, HPLC to determine the relative concentrations of microcystin-LR and RR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to explore possible shifts in diversity from control samples as a result of exposure to the biological control bacterial isolates used. Ultrastructurally, Microcystis showed greater signs of stress than cells of Oscillatoria, with isolate 1 (Aeromonas lacus) having the least effect overall, whilst Isolate B (Lysinibacillus) and 3Y (Pseudomonas sp.) induced cell lysis in Microcystis. All isolates reduced the concentration of the toxic microcystin-LR, while the -RR variant often increased after 4 days. Minimal diversity shifts were noted in Microcystis-treated cultures, whilst those of Oscillatoria showed a greater diversity shift, indicating an increase in families containing isolates linked to bloom decline.

Macroalgae are essential components of marine ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, primary productivity, and the functioning of coastal habitats. In the northeast Atlantic Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands, Cabo Verde), they hold significant ecological and economic value and have recently emerged as key indicators of environmental change. This oceanic region faces increasing pressure from multiple stressors, including climate change, invasive species, habitat degradation, and other anthropogenic impacts, driving shifts in coastal ecosystems and the simplification of structurally complex habitats such as marine forests. To assess the current state of knowledge on Macaronesian macroalgae and identify gaps relevant to conservation and management, we conducted a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines. Our results show strong but uneven foundational knowledge, with the Azores and Canary Islands accounting for roughly 80% of publications. Research is dominated by fundamental studies in ecology and taxonomy, while applied research (e.g., resource exploitation, aquaculture, toxicology, and climate-change impacts) remains limited. Red algae and a few dominant orders (Ceramiales, Fucales, Dictyotales) are well represented, whereas green algae and less conspicuous taxa are understudied. Future research should expand geographic coverage, broaden taxonomic scope using molecular tools, strengthen applied research, standardize monitoring frameworks, and align scientific output with management needs.

Efficient inorganic carbon supply is a common limitation in microalgal cultivation, particularly in waste-derived media such as anaerobic digestate. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) accelerates the interconversion of CO₂ and bicarbonate and may therefore enhance carbon utilisation under conditions where inorganic carbon is abundant but not readily available. In this study, crude CA-containing extracts (aCA) were prepared from Scenedesmus-dominated algal biomass, and CA activity was quantified using an esterase assay (EAA). Although EAA activities varied depending on biomass pretreatment (0.15–0.47 U g⁻¹ DW), the physiological response to extract addition was consistent. In batch cultures of Chlorella sorokiniana grown in diluted digestate, aCA supplementation increased the specific growth rate (SGR) by 21–82%. In contrast, stimulation in a mineral medium was minimal, indicating that the benefit of aCA addition is most apparent under reduced inorganic carbon availability. In semi-continuous cultivation, repeated extract addition sustained a higher biomass productivity over time (rather than a specific growth rate). These results demonstrate that crude microalgal extracts containing CA can improve growth performance in digestate-based cultures and may offer a simple, low-cost approach to enhancing inorganic carbon utilisation in waste-integrated algal production systems.