Differential sunlight sensitivity of picophytoplankton from surface Mediterranean Coastal Waters.
We tested the sensitivity of coastal picophytoplankton exposed to natural sunlight in short-term experiments. Cell abundance and cell-specific chlorophyll fluorescence were significantly reduced in Prochlorococcus spp. but not in Synechococcus, whereas picoeukaryotes had an intermediate response. These results are the first direct evidence of a differential sensitivity to sunlight of these ubiquitous marine members of unicellular phytoplankton.
Sommaruga
Ruben
R
Laboratory of Aquatic Photobiology and Plankton Ecology, Institute of Zoology and Limnology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. ruben.sommaruga@uibk.ac.at
Hofer
Julia S
JS
Alonso-Sáez
Laura
L
Gasol
Josep M
JM
D000818:Animals; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D048929:Prochlorococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013472:Sunlight; D046940:Synechococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013696:Temperature
D002734:Chlorophyll