Interrelationships of light, temperature, sodium chloride and carbon source in growth of halotolerant and halophilic strains of dunaliella

Abstract

The growth rate of several Dunaliella strains was measured as a function of several environmental parameters. The strains tested fell into two groups, the halotolerant capable of growing at 0-5 m NaCl and above, and the halophilic which cannot grow in media containing less than 2 m NaCl. It proved to be difficult to find optima for the different parameters tested because of their integrated effects within the plant cell; for instance the temperature optimum was higher at high light intensity than at lower intensities. Similarly, higher concentrations of NaCl were tolerated when the light intensity was high and carbon plentiful. © 1981 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.