scholarly journals Interactive effects of seawater carbonate chemistry, light intensity and nutrient availability on physiology and calcification of the coccolithophore <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i>

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Feixue Fu ◽  
David A. Hutchins ◽  
Kunshan Gao

Abstract. Rising atmospheric carbonate dioxide (CO2) levels lead to increasing CO2 concentration and declining pH in seawater, as well as ocean warming. This enhances stratification and shoals the upper mixed layer (UML), hindering the transport of nutrients from deeper waters and exposing phytoplankton to increased light intensities. In the present study, we investigated combined impacts of CO2 levels (410 μatm (LC) and 925 μatm (HC)), light intensities (80–480 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and nutrient concentrations [101 μmol L−1 dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and 10.5 μmol L−1 dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) (HNHP); 8.8 μmol L−1 DIN and 10.5 μmol L−1 DIP (LN); 101 μmol L−1 DIN and 0.4 μmol L−1 DIP (LP)] on growth, photosynthesis and calcification of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. HC and LN synergistically decreased growth rates of E. huxleyi at all light intensities. High light intensities compensated for inhibition of LP on growth rates at LC, but exacerbated inhibition of LP at HC. These results indicate that the ability of E. huxleyi to compete for nitrate and phosphate may be reduced in future oceans with high CO2 and high light intensities. Low nutrient concentrations increased particulate inorganic carbon quotas and the sensitivity of maximum electron transport rates to light intensity. Light-use efficiencies for carbon fixation and calcification rates were significantly larger than that of growth. Our results suggest that interactive effects of multiple environmental factors on coccolithophores need to be considered when predicting their contributions to the biological carbon pump and feedbacks to climate change.

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 5693-5704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella M. Weiss ◽  
Eva Y. Pfannerstill ◽  
Stefan Schouten ◽  
Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté ◽  
Marcel T. J. van der Meer

Abstract. Over the last decade, hydrogen isotopes of long-chain alkenones have been shown to be a promising proxy for reconstructing paleo sea surface salinity due to a strong hydrogen isotope fractionation response to salinity across different environmental conditions. However, to date, the decoupling of the effects of alkalinity and salinity, parameters that co-vary in the surface ocean, on hydrogen isotope fractionation of alkenones has not been assessed. Furthermore, as the alkenone-producing haptophyte, Emiliania huxleyi, is known to grow in large blooms under high light intensities, the effect of salinity on hydrogen isotope fractionation under these high irradiances is important to constrain before using δDC37 to reconstruct paleosalinity. Batch cultures of the marine haptophyte E. huxleyi strain CCMP 1516 were grown to investigate the hydrogen isotope fractionation response to salinity at high light intensity and independently assess the effects of salinity and alkalinity under low-light conditions. Our results suggest that alkalinity does not significantly influence hydrogen isotope fractionation of alkenones, but salinity does have a strong effect. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between the fractionation responses to salinity recorded in alkenones grown under both high- and low-light conditions. Comparison with previous studies suggests that the fractionation response to salinity in culture is similar under different environmental conditions, strengthening the use of hydrogen isotope fractionation as a paleosalinity proxy.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e8001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangnan Sun ◽  
Xiaomei Chi ◽  
Mingfang Yang ◽  
Jingyun Ding ◽  
Dongtao Shi ◽  
...  

Small sea urchins Strongylocentrotus intermedius (1–2 cm of test diameter) are exposed to different environments of light intensities after being reseeded to the sea bottom. With little information available about the behavioral responses of S. intermedius to different light intensities in the environment, we carried out an investigation on how S. intermedius is affected by three light intensity environments in terms of phototaxis, foraging and righting behaviors. They were no light (zero lx), low light intensity (24–209 lx) and high light intensity (252–2,280 lx). Light intensity had obvious different effects on phototaxis. In low light intensity, sea urchins moved more and spent significantly more time at the higher intensity (69–209 lx) (P = 0.046). S. intermedius in high light intensity, in contrast, spent significantly more time at lower intensity (252–690 lx) (P = 0.005). Unexpectedly, no significant difference of movement (average velocity and total distance covered) was found among the three light intensities (P > 0.05). Foraging behavior of S. intermedius was significantly different among the light intensities. In the no light environment, only three of ten S. intermedius found food within 7 min. In low light intensity, nine of 10 sea urchins showed successful foraging behavior to the food placed at 209 lx, which was significantly higher than the ratio of the number (two of 10) when food was placed at 24 lx (P = 0.005). In the high light intensity, in contrast, significantly less sea urchins (three of 10) found food placed at the higher light intensity (2,280 lx) compared with the lower light intensity (252 lx) (10/10, P = 0.003). Furthermore, S. intermedius showed significantly longer righting response time in the high light intensity compared with both no light (P = 0.001) and low light intensity (P = 0.031). No significant difference was found in righting behavior between no light and low light intensity (P = 0.892). The present study indicates that light intensity significantly affects phototaxis, foraging and righting behaviors of S. intermedius and that ~200 lx might be the appropriate light intensity for reseeding small S. intermedius.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Li ◽  
Junming Zhou ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
Changkao Mu ◽  
Ce Shi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Scylla paramamosain is one of the commercially crucial marine crustaceans belonging to the genus Scylla, which is commonly distributed along the coasts of China, Vietnam, and Japan. Genomic and transcriptomic data are scarce for the mud crab. Light intensity is one of the ecological factors that affect S. paramamosain during indoor overwintering. To understand the energy metabolism mechanism adapted to light intensity, we analyzed the transcriptome of S. paramamosain hepatopancreas in response to different light intensities (0, 1.43, 40.31 μmol·m− 2·s− 1). Results A total of 5052 differentially expressed genes were identified in low light group (LL group, 3104 genes were up-regulated and 1948 genes were down-regulated). A total of 7403 differentially expressed genes were identified in high light group (HL group, 5262 genes were up-regulated and 2141 genes were down-regulated). S. paramamosain adapts to different light intensity environments through the regulation of amino acids, fatty acids, carbon and energy metabolism. Different light intensities had a strong impact on the energy generation of S. paramamosain by influencing oxygen consumption rate, aerobic respiration, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and fatty acid degradation. Conclusion Low light is more conducive to the survival of S. paramamosain, which needs to produce and consume relatively less energy to sustain physiological activities. In contrast, S. paramamosain produced more energy to adapt to the pressure of high light intensities. The findings of the study add to the knowledge of regulatory mechanisms related to S. paramamosain metabolism under different light intensities.


1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. C. Friend

The number of spikelets on the differentiating inflorescence and the ear at anthesis was highest at high light intensities and at low temperatures. The length of the developing inflorescence and the ear, the height of the main stem, and the total plant dry weight at the time of anthesis were also greatest under these conditions.These results are related to differential effects of temperature and light intensity on the rates and duration of apical elongation, morphological development of the ear, and spikelet formation.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella M. Weiss ◽  
Eva Y. Pfannerstill ◽  
Stefan Schouten ◽  
Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté ◽  
Marcel T. J. van der Meer

Abstract. Over the last decade, hydrogen isotope fractionation of long-chain alkenones have been shown to be a promising proxy for reconstructing paleo sea surface salinity due to a strong hydrogen isotope fractionation response to salinity across different environmental conditions. However, to date, the decoupling of the effects of alkalinity and salinity, parameters that co-vary in the surface ocean, on hydrogen isotope fractionation of alkenones has not been assessed. Furthermore, as the alkenone-producing haptophyte, Emiliania huxleyi, is known to grow in large blooms under high light intensities, the effect of salinity on hydrogen isotope fractionation under these high irradiances is important to constrain before using hydrogen isotope fractionation to reconstruct paleosalinity. Batch cultures of the marine haptophyte E. huxleyi strain CCMP 1516 were grown to investigate the hydrogen isotope fractionation response to salinity at high light intensity and independently assess the effects of salinity and alkalinity. Our results suggest that alkalinity does not significantly influence hydrogen isotope fractionation of alkenones, but salinity does have a strong effect. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between the fractionation responses to salinity recorded in alkenones grown under both high and low light conditions. Comparison with previous studies suggests that the fractionation response to salinity in culture is similar under different environmental conditions, strengthening the applicability of hydrogen isotope fractionation as a paleosalinity proxy.


1948 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Myers ◽  
Marian Cramer

1. The effect of nitrate reduction and assimilation on the CO2/O2 quotient of gas exchange has been used as an index of the relative rates of carbon and nitrogen assimilation in Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Changes in over-all metabolism induced by starvation, high light intensity, and nitrogen deficiency have been studied in comparison with the metabolism of cells growing at light-limiting intensities. 2. Starvation, which results in depletion of carbohydrate reserves, gives rise to a high CO2/O2 quotient (∼0.9) during photosynthesis and, therefore, a high C/N assimilation ratio. Starved cells apparently restore their normal C/N ratio before becoming growing cells. 3. Under photosynthesis-saturating light intensities cells show the high CO2/O2 quotient (0.9) indicative of a high C/N assimilation ratio. Return to low light intensities is followed by the abnormally low CO2/O2 quotient (∼0.4) of a low C/N assimilation ratio. High light intensity apparently gives rise to a condition of a limiting rate of nitrogen assimilation and to an overflow metabolism analogous to that found in other microorganisms. 4. Nitrogen deficiency leads to a completely carbohydrate metabolism in short time experiments and makes still more pronounced the effects characteristic of high light intensity alone. 5. Considerations of nutritional economy sustain the experimental evidence in establishing the metabolism of cells growing under light-limiting intensities as the normal or reference metabolic condition in Chlorella.


1959 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 252 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Bieleski

A method for determining the effect of light on seedling distribution in the field is described. It can be applied when seedling frequencies are as low as 1/m2. The frequency distribution of light intensities occupied by seedlings in a quadrat is compared with the frequency distribution of light intensities measured on a grid in the quadrat. This method was used to study the effect of light intensity on the establishment of two New Zealand gymnosperms, kauri (Agathis australis) and Phyllocladus trichomanoides, in the nursery community, a semimature Leptospermum scoparium – L. ericoides associes. Kauri and Phyllocladus did not occur at light intensities below 0.015 and 0.018 full daylight respectively. This limitation appeared to be due to the low light intensity presumably limiting photosynthesis. Kauri, but not Phyllocladus, also showed a high light intensity limit, at 0.30 full daylight, above which seedlings did not establish. Reasons are given for considering this as an indirect effect, probably through related solar heating affecting soil temperature or moisture. The optimal light intensity for kauri and Phyllocladus seedling establishment was close to the modal light intensity under the Leptospermum community: Leptospermum spp. were incapable of regenerating under their own cover. These two reasons appear to explain the suitability of the Leptospermum community as a nurse crop for the two conifer seedling species.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 5177-5181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Tonk ◽  
Petra M. Visser ◽  
Guntram Christiansen ◽  
Elke Dittmann ◽  
Eveline O. F. M. Snelder ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii, which is dominant in many shallow eutrophic lakes, can produce hepatotoxic microcystins. Currently, more than 70 different microcystin variants have been described, which differ in toxicity. In this study, the effect of photon irradiance on the production of different microcystin variants by P. agardhii was investigated using light-limited turbidostats. Both the amount of the mRNA transcript of the mcyA gene and the total microcystin production rate increased with photon irradiance up to 60 μmol m−2 s−1, but they started to decrease with irradiance greater than 100 μmol m−2 s−1. The cellular content of total microcystin remained constant, independent of the irradiance. However, of the two main microcystin variants detected in P. agardhii, the microcystin-DeRR content decreased twofold with increased photon irradiance, whereas the microcystin-DeLR content increased threefold. Since microcystin-DeLR is considerably more toxic than microcystin-DeRR, this implies that P. agardhii becomes more toxic at high light intensities.


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