Seasonal biochemical variability of <i>Ulva rigida</i> in the Marmara Sea: environmental drivers and relevance for sustainable aquaculture
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10811-026-03979-6
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Understanding seasonal and spatial variation in the biochemical composition of Ulva rigida is important for evaluating its biomass quality and potential utilization pathways. In this study, dry matter, protein, lipid, ash, and chlorophyll-a contents of U. rigida collected from three coastal regions of the Marmara Sea - & Idot;zmit Gulf, Gemlik Gulf, and the & Ccedil;anakkale Strait - were investigated seasonally during summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Simultaneously, seawater temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations were measured. The results showed that the biochemical composition of U. rigida varied markedly among seasons and sampling regions. Dry matter content ranged from 8.62 to 18.78%, with the lowest values recorded during summer in & Idot;zmit and Gemlik Gulfs and the highest value observed during autumn in Gemlik Gulf. Protein content ranged from 9.22 to 25.97% dry weight, with the highest values generally detected during winter, particularly in & Idot;zmit Gulf. Chlorophyll-a content ranged from 0.08 to 0.90 mg g(-)1 dry weight, showing higher values during winter and lower values during summer. Total lipid content remained low throughout the study (0.17-0.54% dry weight), whereas ash content ranged from 13.48 to 25.88% dry weight and showed more pronounced spatial variation, with comparatively higher values recorded in the & Ccedil;anakkale Strait. Correlation analysis suggested that temperature was negatively associated with protein and chlorophyll-a, whereas relationships between dissolved nutrients and biochemical traits were more variable. However, due to the observational design of the study and the limited number of station-season combinations, these relationships should be interpreted as field associations rather than direct causal mechanisms. Overall, the findings demonstrate that U. rigida biomass from the Marmara Sea is not compositionally uniform throughout the year and that its biochemical quality depends on both season and local environmental conditions. The study provides regional baseline data for evaluating the seasonal suitability of U. rigida biomass for aquaculture-related applications, nutrient recovery, and other biomass valorization approaches.