Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons in marine benthic algae

Abstract

Saturated and olefinic hydrocarbons were determined in 24 species of green, brown and red benthic marine algae from the Cape Cod area (Massachusetts, USA). Among the saturated hydrocarbons, n-pentadecane predominates in the brown and n-heptadecane in the red algae. A C17 alkyleyclopropane has been identified tentatively in Ulvalactuca and Enteromorpha compressa, two species of green algae. Mono-and diolefinic C15 and C17 hydrocarbons are common. The structures of several new C17, C19 and C21 mono-to hexaolefins have been elucidated by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and ozonolysis. In fruiting Ascophyllum nodosum, the polyunsaturated hydrocarbons carbons occur exclusively in the reproductive structures. The rest of the plant contains n-alkanes from C15 to C21. A link between the reproductive chemistry of benthic and planktonic algae and their olefin content is suggested. An intriguing speculation is based on Paffenhofer's (1970) observation that the sex ratio of laboratory reared Calanus helgolandicus depends upon the species of algae fed to the nauplii. The percentage of males produced correlates with our analyses of heneicosahexaene in the algal food. Our analyses of the hydrocarbons in benthic marine algae from coastal environments should aid studies of the coastal food web and should enable us to distinguish between hydrocarbon pollutants and the natural hydrocarbon background in inshore waters.