Focusing on drawbacks in managing the complexity of micro-algal community

This contribution underlies the complexity in studying and managing mixed micro-algal populations naturally evolved from seawater with the aim to improve managing of this type of cultures. Nowadays the attention of researchers is paid on the extreme specialization of microbial pure cultures. The simplification of the microbiological actors playing in a process has been considered the way to gain the best results in producing food, beverages, and industrial products. Microalgae are involved, among others, in the production of alternative sources of energy. The majority of literature concerns study and selection of pure micro-algal strains using classical methodologies of observation, counting, isolation, and storage. A few studies shift the attention from pure cultures to micro-algal communities and its possible exploitation. The microbial complexity, in fact, has a key role in maintaining a “climax” stable state with resilience to environmental changes; moreover, the interaction among the different species composing a stable population can lead to an improvement of the culture performances. In the establishment of natural mixed micro-algal populations, various hurdles have been experienced. Throughout the evolution of three seawater samples - collected along the coast of Reggio Calabria (South Italy) - a natural changing consisting in appearing of some species and disappearing of others until the establishment of stable mixed populations was observed. The different species clumped together forming macroscopic and persistent aggregates that impaired the achievement of growth curves for each population present in the culture - due to the drawbacks encountered in using cell counting chambers - the recognition of the different type of cells and so the identification by classical key and the achievement of pure cultures by micromanipulation - due to the persistence of the aggregates - and the appropriate cryostorage - due to various responses of different micro-algae species to different cryoprotectants.