Effects of bloom-forming species dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi on the development and photosynthetic characteristics of the sexually propagated embryos of macroalga Sargassum fusiformis

The sexual reproduction period (May–June) of Sargassum fusiformis , an important aquaculture seaweed in China, coincides with a time of high frequency of algal blooms caused by dinoflagellates such as Karenia mikimotoi . We studied the effects of dense K. mikimotoi suspensions on the sexual reproduction and subsequent development of the fertilized eggs of S. fusiformis in the laboratory. The results showed that K. mikimotoi did not inhibit the egg fertilization, but significantly ( P