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Photoacclimation to abrupt changes in light intensity by Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Emiliania huxleyi: the role of calcification

2012; Inter-Research; Volume: 452; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps09606

1616-1599

Joana Barcelos e Ramos, Kai G. Schulz, Sarah Febiri, Ulf Riebesell,

Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 452:11-26 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09606 Photoacclimation to abrupt changes in light intensity by Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Emiliania huxleyi: the role of calcification Joana Barcelos e Ramos1,2,*, Kai Georg Schulz1, Sarah Febiri1, Ulf Riebesell1 1GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany 2Centre of Climate, Meteorology and Global Change of the University of the Azores, Rua Capitão d'Ávila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal *Email: joanabr@uac.pt ABSTRACT: Phytoplankton experience strong and abrupt variations in light intensity. How cells cope with these changes influences their competitiveness in a highly dynamical environment. While a considerable amount of work has focused on photoacclimation, it is still unknown whether processes specific of phytoplankton groups (e.g. calcification and silicification) influence their response to changing light. Here we show that the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi respond to an abrupt increase in irradiance by increasing carbon fixation rates, decreasing light absorption through the decrease of light-harvesting pigments and increasing energy dissipation through the xanthophyll cycle. In addition, E. huxleyi rapidly increases calcium carbonate precipitation in response to elevated light intensity, thereby providing an additional sink for excess energy. Differences between the 2 species also emerge with regard to the magnitude and timing of their individual responses. While E. huxleyi show a pronounced decrease in chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin cellular contents following increased light intensity, P. tricornutum has a faster increase in diadinoxanthin quota, a slower decrease in Fv/Fm (ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence) and a stronger increase in organic carbon fixation rate during the first 10 min. Our findings provide further evidence of species-specific responses to abrupt changes in light intensity, which may partly depend on the phytoplankton functional groups, with coccolithophores having a supplementary path (calcification) for the rapid dissipation of excess energy produced after an abrupt increase in light intensity. These differences might influence competition between coexisting species and may therefore have consequences at the community level. KEY WORDS: Calcification · Light · Coccolithophores · Diatoms · Phytoplankton · Pigments · Carbon fixation Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Barcelos e Ramos J, Schulz KG, Febiri S, Riebesell U (2012) Photoacclimation to abrupt changes in light intensity by Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Emiliania huxleyi: the role of calcification. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 452:11-26. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09606 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 452. Online publication date: April 25, 2012 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.