Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK.
Department River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research - UFZ, Brückstrasse 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany.
Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2022 Dec;97(6):2162-2173. doi: 10.1111/brv.12887. Epub 2022 Aug 1.
Volatiles are important 'infochemicals' that play a crucial role in structuring life on our planet, fulfilling diverse functions in natural and artificial systems. Algae contribute significant quantities to the global budget of volatiles, but the ecological roles of aquatic volatiles are not well understood. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of volatile compounds from freshwater and marine microalgae and marine macroalgae, with a focus on their ecological roles. We highlight the multiple reported functions of biogenic volatiles, ranging from intraspecific communication for reproduction, intra-bloom signalling and antioxidant functions, to various interspecific signal exchanges that may allow herbivores to locate them and function in defence against competitors and predators. Beyond reviewing our current understanding, we specifically highlight major knowledge gaps and emerging questions for algal volatile research. These novel perspectives have the potential to improve our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and thus need to be addressed in future research. Filling these gaps and addressing these questions will facilitate humanity's efforts to exploit aquatic volatiles in various applications.
挥发性物质是重要的“信息素”，在构建我们星球上的生命方面发挥着关键作用，在自然和人工系统中具有多种功能。藻类为全球挥发性物质预算贡献了大量物质，但水生挥发性物质的生态作用还没有得到很好的理解。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了淡水和海洋微藻以及海洋大型藻类的挥发性化合物的现有知识，重点讨论了它们的生态作用。我们强调了生物源挥发性物质的多种报道功能，从繁殖的种内交流、花内信号传递和抗氧化功能，到各种种间信号交换，这些信号交换可能使食草动物能够定位它们，并在防御竞争者和捕食者方面发挥作用。除了回顾我们目前的理解，我们还特别强调了藻类挥发性研究的主要知识空白和新出现的问题。这些新的观点有可能增进我们对水生生态系统的理解，因此需要在未来的研究中加以解决。填补这些空白和解决这些问题将有助于人类在各种应用中利用水生挥发性物质。
