Real and Virtual Ecosystem:

The Effects of Disturbance on Biological Systems

2009. 3. 26 27.

Microalgae have the final say

on climate change
Chi-Yong Ahn & Hee-Mock Oh
Korea Research Institute of
Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)

Algae
Definition:
Heterogeneous group of photosynthetic organisms
Oxygenic photosynthesis with plants pigments (chlorophyll a)
No vascular conducting systems

Microalgae: microscopic, usually one-cell

Macroalgae: macroscopic, multicellular

Plankton
Definition:
Any drifting organisms (animals, plants, archaea, or bacteria)
that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or fresh water

Phytoplankton: photosynthesis

Zooplankton: grazing

Classification of microalgae
(Prokaryote)

(Eukaryote)
Chlorophyta
Euglenophyta

Chrysophyta
Phaeophyta
Pyrrophyta

Rhodophyta

(Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae)

(Eukaryotes)

(Prokaryotes)

(Cyanobacteria)

(Multicellular
Organisms)

(Billion years ago)

NHK,

Shark Bay

Google Earth

Shark Bay:
Natural World Heritage Site

Satellite photo of the Shark Bay

by NASA

Stromatolite

From Wikipedia

Photo by Warwick Hillier

 (Cyanobacteria)
( )
25%

Prochlorococcus
(O2)

Cyanobacteria
Microalgae

Redfield Ratio
[NO3-] : [PO43-] 16:1 (atomic ratio)

N:P ratio of plankton cell 16:1

106 C : 16 N : 1 P

The plankton determines the

chemical composition of the ocean.

Alfred C. Redfield

N: biologically determined (N2 fixation & denitrification)

P: set by riverine input & output via burial in sediments
Phosphorus is the ultimate nutrient
that constrains oceanic productivity.

N:P ratio in the global ocean

[NO3-] = 14.1[PO43-] 1.53

The World Ocean Atlas 1994 (681,381 points)

14.6

Geographical locations of low N:P ratio

High-nutrient,
Low-chlorophyll

Tyrrell, T. & C. S. Law. 1997. Nature 387: 793-796.

(Fe, iron)
What Redfield did not anticipate
- Nitrogen fixers are limited by iron (Fe).
- They require relatively high iron demands in nitrogenase and PS I.

Iron hypothesis
- High-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) region
: equatorial & subtropical South Pacific Ocean

- Iron fertilization in this region will stimulate massive phytoplankton bloom.

Flavodoxin immunofluorescence assay.

The green fluorescence indicates Fe-stressed
diatoms.

High-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC)

HNLC

Fe-rich

Fe-limited

Tyrrell, T. & C. S. Law. 1997. Nature 387: 793-796.

Iron fertilization experiment

Boyd, P. W. et al. 2000. Nature 407: 695-702.

Iron Fertilization Experiments

http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/

All 12 reported up to 15-fold increases in the chlorophyll content of surface water.

Carbon can be captured in the deep sea ?

~ 200 tons of C sequestered per 1 ton of Fe

Perhaps only 1 to 15%

of the original carbon in
surface waters sinks
below 500 meters.

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo, 1991

approximately 40,000 tons of iron dust into the oceans worldwide

global decline in atmospheric CO2 and a parallel increase in O2

Debate on Iron Fertilization (1)

Modern societys last hope to slow global warming

We cannot sure the safety of iron fertilization

* Precautionary principle ( )

Not even trying to remedy industrial impacts is far more irresponsible, considering the known pace of increasing harm
This approach may actually sequester very little carbon
per bloom, with most of the plankton being eaten rather
than deposited on the ocean floor

Debate on Iron Fertilization (2)

Harmful algal bloom

Red tides are largely coastal phenomena

Bloom in the open ocean will dissipate long before
reaching coastal waters
Oxygen depletion in deep waters will threaten
benthic species

Ecosystem alterations: huge impact on fisheries

CO2-induced heating already shifting ecosystems on a
massive scale

CLAW hypothesis
Charlson, Lovelock, Andreae and Warren

Charlson et al. 1986. Nature 326, 655-661.

Anti-CLAW hypothesis

Lovelock. 2006. Revenge of Gaia

Warming ocean slows phytoplankton growth

Images by Jesse Allen, based on data provided by

Robert O'Malley, Oregon State University

Warming ocean slows phytoplankton growth

NPP : net primary production
SST : sea surface temperature

Behrenfeld., M., et al. (2006). Nature, 444, 752-755.

Cause & Effect of global warming

1928

2004

Marland, G. et al., 2003.

"Global, Regional, and National CO2 Emissions."

http://www.globalwarmingart.com/

100

Microalgae can do it !

 (microalgae)?
1. 100
2. 1 ,
3.
4.

5.
Microalgae can be the answer to both of
energy crisis and global warming !



58700(L/ha)

(L/ha)

60000
50000
40000
30000
20000

5950(L/ha)

446(L/ha)

172(L/ha)

10000
0

(Biotechnology Advances 25: 294-306, 2007)

1 .
.

.
- , 2008. 2.

(Lester Brown)
:

There is no magic-bullet fuel crop that

can solve our energy woes without
harming the environment, says virtually
every scientist studying the issue.
But most say that algae single-celled
pond scumcomes closer than any other
plant because it grows in wastewater,
even seawater, requiring little more than
sunlight and carbon dioxide to flourish.

National Geographic (October, 2007)

Aquatic Species Program (, NREL)

(1978-1996)
3,000
, ,
Open pond
,

Dunaliella

: 25-75%

23-37%

Isochrysis

25-33%



Growth
Oil

Tubular photobioreactor:

Raceway pond:

Helical photobioreactor:

: , biofilm ,

CO2

+
Biomass

,
()
,
Biomass

Microalgae have the final say