Summary
During October/November 1983 photosynthetic responses of natural phytoplankton from the Scotia Sea and Bransfield strait to light and temperature were examined in incubators. Both assimilation numbers at saturating light levels and the slopes of the light-limited portions of the photosynthesis versus irradiance curves were smaller than in algae from lower latitudes. However, both parameters increased significantly with rising temperatures. Light-saturated photosynthesis on the average exhibited a Q10-value of ca. 4.2 between-1.5°C and +2°C. Light-limited photosynthesis between-1.5°C and +5°C rose at a rate corresponding to a Q10-value of roughly 2.6. Above +5°C, temperature enhancement of both light-saturated and light-limited photosynthetic rates was minimal or absent. Our results suggest that under extremely low temperatures light-limited photosynthetic rates become temperature-dependent due to changes in maximum quantum yields.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bannister TT (1979) Quantitative description of steady state, nutrient-saturated algal growth, including adaptation. Limnol Oceanogr 24:76–96
Bannister TT, Weidemann AD (1984) The maximum quantum yield of phytoplankton photosynthesis in situ. J Plankton Res 6:275–294
Côté B, Plantt T (1983) Day-to-day variations in the spring-summer photosynthetic parameters of coastal marine phytoplankton. Limnol Oceanogr 28:320–344
Dubinsky Z (1980) Light utilization efficiency in natural phytoplankton communities. In: Falkowski PG (ed) Primary productivity in the sea. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 83–97
Dubinsky Z, Berman T (1976) Light utilization efficiencies of phytoplankton in Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Limnol Oceanogr 21:226–230
Dubinsky Z, Berman T (1981) Light utilization by phytoplankton in Lake Kinneret (Israel). Limnol Oceanogr 26:660–670
El-Sayed SZ (1970) On the productivity of the Southern Ocean (Atlantic and Pacific sectors). In: Holdgate A (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 1. Academic press, New York, pp 119–135
El-Sayed SZ, Mandelli EF (1965) Primary production in the southeastern Indian Ocean. In: Llano GA (ed) Biology of the Antarctic seas (Antarctic research series 5). American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, pp 85–105
El-Sayed SZ, Weber LM (1982) Spatial and temporal variations in phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity in the Southwest Atlantic and the Scotia Sea. Polar Biol 1:83–90
Falkowski PG (1980) Light=shade adaptation in marine phytoplankton. In: Falkowski PG (ed) Primary productivity in the sea. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 99–119
Falkowski PG (1981) Light-shade adaptation and assimilation numbers. J Plankton Res 3:203–216
Herron HA, Mauzerall DC (1972) The development of photosynthesis in a greening mutant of Chlorella and an analysis of the light saturation curve. Plant Physiol 50:141–148
Holm-Hansen O (1985) Nutrient cycles in Antarctic marine ecosystems. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 6–10
Holm-Hansen O, El-Sayed EZ, Franzeschini G, Cukel R (1977) Primary production and the factors controlling phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean. In: Loano GA (ed) Adaptations within Antarctic ecosystems. Proc 3rd SCAR Symp Antarct Biol. Smithsonian Institution, pp 11–50
Jacques G (1983) Some ecophysiological aspects of the Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 2:27–33
Jassby AD, Platt T (1976) Mathematical formulation of the relationship between photosynthesis and light for phytoplankton. Limnol Oceanogr 21:540–547
Jewson DM (1976) The interaction of components controlling net photosynthesis in a well-mixed lake (Lough Neagh, Northern-Ireland). Freshwater Biol 6:551–576
Lutjeharms JRE, Walters NM, Allanson BR (1984) Oceanic frontal systems and biological enhancement. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 11–21
Megard RO, Tonkyn DW, Senft WM Jr (1984) Kinetics of oxygenic photosynthesis in planktonic algae. J Plankton Res 6:325–337
Mohr H, Schopfer P (1978) Lehrbuch der Pflanzenphysiologie. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 608 pp
Myers JE (1980) On the algae: thoughts about physiology and measurements of efficiency. In: Falkowski PG (ed) Primary productivity in the sea, pp 1–16
Neori A, Holm-Hansen O (1982) Effects of temperature on rates of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 1:33–38
Platt T, Jassby AD (1976) The relationship between photosynthesis and light for natural assemblages of coastal marine phytoplankton. J Phycol 12:421–430
Roos AM de, Flick BJG (1985) Modelling time-series of photosynthesis and comparisons with the fluorescence yield in Chlorella vulgaris: a study of adaptation, inhibition and recovery. J Plankton Res 7:665–677
Strickland JDH, Parsons TR (1972) A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Bull Fish Res Board Can 167, 311 pp
Talling JF (1957) Photosynthetic characteristics of some freshwater plankton diatoms in relation to underwater radition. New Phytol 56:29–50
Talling JF (1979) Factor interactions and implications for the prediction of Lake metabolism. Arch Hydrobiol, Beih Ergebn Limnol 13:96–109
Tilzer MM (1984) The quantum yield as a fundamental parameter controlling vertical photosynthetic profiles of phytoplankton in Lake Constance. Arch Hydrobiol, Suppl 69:169–198
Tilzer MM, Bodungen B von, Smetacek V (1985) Light-dependence of phytoplankton photosynthesis in the Antarctic Ocean: implications for regulating productivity. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 60–69
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tilzer, M.M., Elbrächter, m., Gieskes, W.W. et al. Light-temperature interactions in the control of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 5, 105–111 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00443382
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00443382