Fadia Tala
@ucn.cl
Departamento de Biología Marina, Centro de I+D Tecnológico en Algas y Otros Recursos Biológicos (CIDTA)
Universidad Católica del Norte
EDUCATION
Dr. Sciences mention in Botany, Marine Biologist
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Aquatic Science
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Henry Goehlich, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera, André-Philippe Drapeau Picard, José Pantoja, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Eva Rothäusler, Clementina Paz-Soldan Carbone, Boris A. López, and Fadia Tala
Elsevier BV
Carolina Oyarzo-Miranda, Ricardo Otaíza, Alexis Bellorín, J.M. Alonso Vega, Fadia Tala, Nelson A. Lagos, Fernanda X. Oyarzún, Rodrigo A. Estévez, Nicolás Latorre-Padilla, Ana María Mora Tapia,et al.
Frontiers Media SA
Several seaweed species are commercialized worldwide both due to high demand for food and feed and as a raw material for the extraction of phycocolloids such as agar, carrageenan, and alginates that are used broadly in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Chile is the world’s leading marine seaweed biomass producer when it comes to the exploitation of natural kelp beds. This extraction pressure has persisted for decades and has resulted in a reduction in natural stocks along the benthic ecosystems of the Chilean coast. Over the last three decades, several strategies aimed at restoring seaweed stocks have been implemented (i.e., sexual and asexual reproduction, the use of spore-type propagules or fragments of thalli, and entire thallus transplants). Success rates have varied, but the biological feasibility of such strategies has been demonstrated for several species. However, technological improvements must be achieved to move from small-scale, pilot experiments to cost-effective restocking strategies that are easy to transfer to fisher communities and another end-user, scalable to marine field conditions, and socio-ecologically sustainable. Researchers in other geographic areas have explored similar pathways for developing kelp restocking strategies and have tackled the research gaps regarding its massification. This work summarizes the research activities carried out in recent decades in the search for sustainable strategies to restore algal stocks in Chile.
Eva Rothäusler, Sergey Dobretsov, María Fernanda Gómez, David Jofré-Madariaga, Martin Thiel, Karina Véliz, and Fadia Tala
Elsevier BV
Karina Véliz, Pedro Toledo, Michael Araya, María Fernanda Gómez, Vieia Villalobos, and Fadia Tala
Elsevier BV
Claudio P. González, Mario Edding, Fadia Tala, Rodrigo Torres, and Patricio H. Manríquez
Elsevier BV
Javier Sellanes, Matthias Gorny, Germán Zapata-Hernández, Gonzalo Alvarez, Praxedes Muñoz, and Fadia Tala
PeerJ
Mesophotic and deeper habitats (∼40 to 350 m in depth) around Rapa Nui (Easter Island) were investigated using a remotely operated vehicle. We observed extensive fields of filamentous cyanobacteria-like mats covering sandy substrates and mostly dead mesophotic Leptoseris spp. reefs. These mats covered up to 100% of the seafloor off Hanga Roa, the main village on the island, located on its western side. The highest mortality of corals was observed at depths between 70 and 95 m in this area. Healthy Leptoseris reefs were documented off the northern and southeastern sides of the island, which are also the least populated. A preliminary morphologic analysis of samples of the mats indicated that the assemblage is composed of at least four filamentous taxa, including two cyanobacteria (cf. Lyngbya sp. and Pseudoanabaena sp.), a brown alga (Ectocarpus sp.), and a green alga (Cladophora sp.). An ongoing eutrophication process is suggested as a potential driver of the proliferation of these filamentous mats off Hanga Roa village.
Allison Leyton, Michael Araya, Fadia Tala, Liset Flores, María Elena Lienqueo, and Carolina Shene
MDPI AG
Seaweed processing generates liquid fraction residual that could be used as a low-cost nutrient source for microbial production of metabolites. The Rhodotorula strain is able to produce antimicrobial compounds known as sophorolipids. Our aim was to evaluate sophorolipid production, with antibacterial activity, by marine Rhodotorula rubra using liquid fraction residual (LFR) from the brown seaweed Macrocystis pyrifera as the nutrient source. LFR having a composition of 32% w/w carbohydrate, 1% w/w lipids, 15% w/w protein and 52% w/w ash. The best culture condition for sophorolipid production was LFR 40% v/v, without yeast extract, artificial seawater 80% v/v at 15 °C by 3 growth days, with the antibacterial activity of 24.4 ± 3.1 % on Escherichia coli and 21.1 ± 3.8 % on Staphylococcus aureus. It was possible to identify mono-acetylated acidic and methyl ester acidic sophorolipid. These compounds possess potential as pathogen controllers for application in the food industry.
Marcel Velásquez, Ceridwen I. Fraser, Wendy A. Nelson, Fadia Tala, and Erasmo C. Macaya
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Erasmo C. Macaya, Fadia Tala, Iván A. Hinojosa, and Eva Rothäusler
Springer International Publishing
Sergey Dobretsov, Karina Véliz, María Soledad Romero, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT UV radiation can affect the physiology of seaweeds and their associated microorganisms. In this study we exposed different Chilean populations of the agarophyte Gelidium lingulatum to PAR or PAR+UV and monitored their photosynthetic performance using in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence for 5 days to determine changes in abundance and composition of epibiotic bacteria. Before the experiment, the seaweeds had been acclimated for more than 1 year in outdoor tanks with flowing seawater. At the beginning of the experiment, maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) did not vary among different populations. During the recovery period, Fv/Fm increase was higher in thalli from La Pampilla (30°S) in comparison with other populations (33°S and 42°S). The lowest total amount of bacteria (22.2 ± 2.5 × 103 cell mm–2) on thalli was observed at the beginning of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the density of bacteria was not significantly different among thalli from different populations, as well as among UV-exposed and non-exposed seaweeds. The bacterial community in seawater was different from that on the seaweed thalli as shown by MiSeq Illumina reads of 16S rRNA. UV exposure changed the composition of microbial communities on the thalli and led to a reduction in community diversity and evenness. Relative abundance of Alteromonas sp. increased but abundances of Methylophaga sp. and Colwellia sp. decreased during UV exposure. Microbes associated with G. lingulatum may play an important ecological role in seaweed-microbial interactions. Future studies should explore the ecological function of microbial communities associated with seaweeds.
Fadia Tala, Boris A. López, Marcel Velásquez, Ricardo Jeldres, Erasmo C. Macaya, Andrés Mansilla, Jaime Ojeda, and Martin Thiel
Elsevier BV
Boris A. López, Erasmo C. Macaya, Ricardo Jeldres, Nelson Valdivia, César C. Bonta, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
F. Méndez, J. Marambio, J. Ojeda, S. Rosenfeld, J. P. Rodríguez, F. Tala, and A. Mansilla
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Boris A. López, Erasmo C. Macaya, Marcelo M. Rivadeneira, Fadia Tala, Florence Tellier, and Martin Thiel
Wiley
This study examines how rafting on floating bull kelps can shape the biogeographic patterns of raft‐associated species, and analyses the spatio‐temporal variability of taxonomic richness and co‐occurrences of epibionts on beach‐cast rafts of Durvillaea antarctica along a latitudinal gradient.
Eva Rothäusler, Hannes Reinwald, Boris A. López, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Wiley
The persistence of floating seaweeds, which depends on abiotic conditions but also herbivory, had previously been mostly tested in outdoor mesocosm experiments. In order to investigate if the obtained mesocosm results of high seaweed persistence under natural environmental conditions and under grazing pressure can be extrapolated to field situations, we conducted in situ experiments. During two summers (2007 and 2008), Macrocystis pyrifera was tethered (for 14 d) to lines in the presence and absence of the amphipod Peramphithoe femorata at three sites (Iquique, Coquimbo, Calfuco). We hypothesized that grazing damage and seaweed persistence vary among sites due to different abiotic factors. By incubating the sporophytes in mesh bags, we were either able to isolate (grazing) or exclude (control) amphipods. To test for a mesh bag artifact, a set of sporophytes was incubated without mesh bags (natural). Mesh bags used to exclude herbivores influenced sporophyte growth and physiological performance. The chlorophyll a (Chl a) content depended largely on grazers and grazed sporophytes grew less than natural and control sporophytes within the two summers. A decrease in Chl a content was found for the sites with the highest prevailing irradiances and temperatures, suggesting an efficient acclimation to these sea surface conditions. Our field‐based results of sporophyte acclimation ability even under grazing pressure widely align with previous mesocosm results. We conclude that M. pyrifera and other temperate floating seaweeds can function as long‐distance dispersal vectors even with hitchhiking mesoherbivores.
Catalina S. Ruz, Arley F. Muth, Fadia Tala, and Alejandro Pérez-Matus
Elsevier BV
F. Méndez, F. Tala, R. Rautenberger, J. Ojeda, S. Rosenfeld, J. P. Rodríguez, J. Marambio, P. Ocaranza, and A. Mansilla
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Boris A. López, Florence Tellier, Juan C. Retamal-Alarcón, Karla Pérez-Araneda, Ariel O. Fierro, Erasmo C. Macaya, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Boris A. López, Erasmo C. Macaya, Fadia Tala, Florence Tellier, and Martin Thiel
Wiley
Dispersal on floating seaweeds depends on availability, viability, and trajectories of the rafts. In the southern hemisphere, the bull kelp Durvillaea antarctica is one of the most common floating seaweeds, but phylogeographic studies had shown low connectivity between populations from continental Chile, which could be due to limitations in local supply and dispersal of floating kelps. To test this hypothesis, the spatiotemporal dynamics of kelp strandings were examined in four biogeographic districts along the Chilean coast (28°–42°S). We determined the biomass and demography of stranded individuals on 33 beaches for three subsequent years (2013, 2014, 2015) to examine whether rafting is restricted to certain districts and seasons (winter or summer). Stranded kelps were found on all beaches. Most kelps had only one stipe (one individual), although we also frequently found coalesced holdfasts with mature males and females, which would facilitate successful rafting dispersal, gamete release, and reproduction upon arrival. High biomasses of stranded kelps occurred in the northern‐central (30°S–33°S) and southernmost districts (37°S–42°S), and lower biomasses in the northernmost (28°S–30°S) and southern‐central districts (33°S–37°S). The highest percentages and sizes of epibionts (Lepas spp.), indicative of prolonged floating periods, were found on stranded kelps in the northernmost and southernmost districts. Based on these results, we conclude that rafting dispersal can vary regionally, being more common in the northernmost and southernmost districts, depending on intrinsic (seaweed biology) and extrinsic factors (shore morphology and oceanography) that affect local supply of kelps and regional hydrodynamics.
Fadia Tala, Miguel Angel Penna-Díaz, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera, Eva Rothäusler, and Martin Thiel
Informa UK Limited
Abstract: Floating seaweeds are important dispersal vehicles, especially for organisms with limited movement capacities and for the seaweeds themselves. The persistence of floating seaweeds is determined by the balance between their acclimation potential and the environmental pressures at the sea surface. Solar radiation is the most important inducer of physiological stress, varying in intensity throughout the day and the year. Therefore photoinhibition and subsequent recovery can change depending on the daily radiation dose and season. The bull kelp Durvillaea antarctica is one of the most common floating seaweeds in the southern oceans, including New Zealand, Chile, and most subantarctic islands. Herein, daily cycles of maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), photoinhibition and recovery levels were examined in microcosm experiments with floating D. antarctica throughout the year, focusing on the blade side exposed to solar radiation (sunny vs shadow side). Also, the effect of simulated wave action (blade turnover) and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on photoinhibition and recovery of Fv/Fm was evaluated. Significant differences in maximum quantum yield were observed between blade sides, with lowest values on the sun-exposed side, especially during noontime and spring/summer months. Phlorotannins and pigments were measured during seasons with the most intense solar radiation (late spring, early summer), when Fv/Fm values were lowest. Phlorotannin, but not pigment concentrations, differed between sunny (lower concentration) and shadow blade sides (higher concentration) and throughout the daily cycle. Both blade sides had similar photoinhibition and recovery levels when blades were constantly turned over. Absence of UVR favoured the recovery capacity of Fv/Fm in both blade sides, suggesting that the photorecovery potential of floating kelps depends on the environmental conditions that kelp rafts face at the sea surface (e.g. cloudy vs sunny days, intense seawater movement and splashing vs calm sea conditions). The results confirm that photobiological stress is more severe during summer and on continuously sun-exposed blade sides, thereby damaging the blades and suppressing the floating time of D. antarctica.
Fadia Tala, Marcel Velásquez, Andrés Mansilla, Erasmo C. Macaya, and Martin Thiel
Elsevier BV
Angelika Graiff, Jose F. Pantoja, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Kristina Koch, Martin Thiel, Wilhelm Hagen, Martin Graeve, Iván Gómez, David Jofre, Laurie C. Hofmann, Fadia Tala, and Kai Bischof
Wiley
The giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, is exposed to highly variable irradiance and temperature regimes across its geographic and vertical depth gradients. The objective of this study was to extend our understanding of algal acclimation strategies on different temporal scales to those varying abiotic conditions at various water depths. Different acclimation strategies to various water depths (0.2 and 4 m) between different sampling times (Jan/Feb and Aug/Sept 2012; long‐term acclimation) and more rapid adjustments to different depths (0.2, 2 and 4 m; short‐term acclimation) during 14 d of transplantation were found. Adjustments of variable Chl a fluorescence, pigment composition (Chl c, fucoxanthin), and the de‐epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle pigments were responsible for the development of different physiological states with respect to various solar radiation and temperature climates. Interestingly, the results indicated that phlorotannins are important during long‐term acclimation while antioxidants have a crucial role during short‐term acclimation. Furthermore, the results suggested that modifications in total lipids and fatty acid compositions apparently also might play a role in depth acclimation. In Aug/Sept (austral winter), M. pyrifera responded to the transplantation from 4 m to 0.2 m depth with a rise in the degree of saturation and a switch from shorter‐ to longer‐chain fatty acids. These changes seem to be essential for the readjustment of thylakoid membranes and might, thus, facilitate efficient photosynthesis under changing irradiances and temperatures. Further experiments are needed to disentangle the relative contribution of solar radiation, temperature and also other abiotic parameters in the observed physiological changes.
Dominic Lizée-Prynne, Boris López, Fadia Tala, and Martin Thiel
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Abstract Dispersal of dioecious floating seaweeds could be limited due to biological constraints. This study examined for benthic and floating populations (stranded individuals) of the rafting kelp Durvillaea antarctica whether male and female individuals cohabit within one holdfast. As a previous study had indicated colour differences between sexes, we also examined whether these colour differences are consistent and possibly related to pigment and phlorotannin concentrations. Our large-scale survey of rafted holdfasts and a small-scale survey of benthic holdfasts at two sites found that reproductive males and females do travel together in coalesced holdfasts, although this proportion is relatively low (5–17%). There were no sex-specific differences in pigment and phlorotannin concentrations, but there were significant differences between the two benthic populations. There was no relationship between the colouration of thalli and the concentration of pigments but there was a slight colour difference between vegetative and reproductive sexual stages. Based on these results we conclude that biological conditions are not the cause for the lack of genetic connectivity between D. antarctica populations from central Chile. Instead, we suggest that ecological processes, such as density-blocking and physical factors (i.e. currents and winds), limit the potential for successful rafting dispersal.