Abstract

This study assessed the impact of temperature on the photosynthetic activity in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense (Ca28) for cultures grown at 75 µmol photons m–2 s–1 over a range of temperatures. Increasing light intensity under static temperatures caused a 5-fold decrease in the maximum quantum yield for photosystern II (PSII) (FvlFm) Carbon fixation rates mirrored high-light depressions in (FvlFm). Cells in the presence of streptomycin showed an 83% recovery in (FvlFm); therefore, only a minor proportion of the decline in (FvlFm)was attributable to PSII damage by bright light. For cells transferred to higher temperatures, F. was less sensitive to high light, decreasing only 20–40% compared to the 80–90% decrease observed for cells incubated at their ambient growth temperature. For cells shifted to higher temperatures, the rapid recovery phase of (FvlFm) was not present; therefore, cells did not initiate downregulation of PSII. Higher capacity to maintain electron transport, as indicated by the quantum yields, was confirmed by enhanced carbon fixation. Shifts lower temperatures significantly increased PSII sensitivity to high light. Overall, these relationships reflect the synergy between photosynthetic light and dark reactions which are differentially impacted by changes in temperature.

Disciplines

Biology

Publisher statement

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Plankton Research following peer review.

Download

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

COinS
 

URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/bio_fac/136