Prorocentrum micans is an unicellular dinoflagellate species with a longitude ranging between 35 and 75 µm, a cellulose theca and two unequal flagella. It is an euryhaline and mixotrophic species that reproduces by asexual binary fission. Prorocentrum micans could be considered as a harmful algae responsible of coloured water episodes, known as red tides. However, there are no studies confirming its toxicity.
Prorocentrum micans has been choosen as a model microalgae for the metal bioavailability studies because it is present in the Mar Menor, being one of the most abundant dinoflagellates in this coastal system.
Microalgae collection of the IEO has a Prorocentrum micans strain (PMV 311) isolated for the first time in 1985 from the Ría de Vigo by Dr. Isabel Bravo. We are growing this strain in a constant temperature chamber at 25ºC using L1 culture media and a 12 h light:12 h dark photoperiod. When the culture gets exponential growth phase, it is harvested by filtration and exposed to different combinations of metals with or without the presence of organic matter in order to quantify metal internalization by cells.
Bibliography:
Aguilar et al. (2016): Evaluación del estado y composición de la Comunidad Fitoplanctónica de las aguas del Mar Menor, Murcia (mayo de 2016). Memoria técnica. Universidad de Alicante.
Qiu Jin, Shuanglin Dong Dr. & Changyun Wang (2005) Allelopathic growth inhibition of Prorocentrum micans (Dinophyta) by Ulva pertusa and Ulva linza (Chlorophyta) in laboratory cultures. European Journal of Phycology, 40:1, 31-37; doi: 10.1080/09670260400019741.
Soria et al. (2020): Phytoplankton Distribution in Mar Menor Coastal Lagoon (SE Spain) during 2017. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8, 600; doi:10.3390/jmse8080600.
eoas.ubc.ca/research/phytoplankton/dinoflagellates/prorocentrum/p_micans.html
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