ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 1997
Poster No. = 1143


EXTREMOPHILIC ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA OF THE SALT PLAINS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE


Janice L. Hironaka and William J. Henley, Department of Botany, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 USA


The salt flats of the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma, USA is an extreme environment, with salinities ranging from near zero to saturation. Light, temperature, pH, salinity, and redox conditions fluctuate widely on yearly, monthly, daily, and sometimes hourly bases. Algae and cyanobacteria are found throughout the year on the salt flats in temporary solar evaporative ponds, temporary streams, rain runoff pools, and in algal/cyanobacterial patches on or near the surface of damp sandy soil. A coccoid chlorophyte microalga isolated from a solar pond tolerates culture salinities up to 13% w/w at 22 C and 50 umol photons/m2/sec, and culture temperatures from 4-45 C. It exhibits an unusual fluorescence-temperature curve, with a break temperature of up to 60 C. Thiosulfate enhances its growth.


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