Ammonium uptake by Gracilaria dura (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) from the Mar Piccolo of Taranto

In the present paper both the capacity and the rate of NH4+-N uptake from native Gracilaria dura was assessed. Ammonium uptake was best described by a linear, rate-unsaturated response, with different slope, in N-limitation (5.50±0.10 µM N g-1dry h-1) and N-repletion (3.67±0.06 µM N g-1dry h-1) nutrient status. The high uptake rate values observed showed that G. dura is suitable to remove NH4+-N in polycultures