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Title: Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton

Abstract

Introduction to Phytoplankton. Based on the record of the oldest identifiable fossils, the first oxygenic photosynthetic organisms appeared about 2 {times} l0{sup 9} years ago in the form of marine single celled, planktonic procaryotes (Riding, 1992; Sarmiento and Bender, 1993). In the intervening eons, phytoplankton have evolved and diversified; presently they represent at least 11 classes of procaryotic and euacaryotic photoautotrophs. While the carbon of these organisms cumulatively amounts to only 1 to 2% of the global plant biomass, they fix between 35 and 50 gigatonnes ({times} 10{sup 9} metric tons) of carbon annually, about 40% of the global total (Falkowski and Woodhead, 1992). On average, each gram of phytoplankton chlorophyll converts about 6% of the photosynthetically active radiation (440 to 700 nm) incident on the sea surface to photochemical energy (Morel, 1978). Despite a great deal of variability in ocean environments, this photosynthetic conversion efficiency is relatively constant for integrated water column production (Morel, 1978; Falkowski, 1981; Platt, 1986; Morel, 1991). Here we review the factors determining light utilization efficiency of phytoplankton in the oceans, and the physiological acclimations which have evolved to optimize light utilization efficiency.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States); Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
143948
Report Number(s):
BNL-49821; CONF-9309312-1
ON: DE94005505; CNN: Grant DW 89935239-01-1;Grant UPN 161350508
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76CH00016
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 41. Harden conference on photoinhibition of photosynthesis, London (United Kingdom), 5-10 Sep 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; PHYTOPLANKTON; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; IRRADIATION; PHOTOSYNTHETIC REACTION CENTERS; BIOMASS; PHOTOCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE; VISIBLE RADIATION; INFRARED RADIATION; CHLOROPHYLL; CHLOROPLASTS

Citation Formats

Falkowski, P.G., Greene, R., Kolber, Z. Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton. United States: N. p., 1993. Web.
Falkowski, P.G., Greene, R., Kolber, Z. Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton. United States.
Falkowski, P.G., Greene, R., Kolber, Z. 1993. "Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/143948.
@article{osti_143948,
title = {Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton},
author = {Falkowski, P.G., Greene, R., Kolber, Z.},
abstractNote = {Introduction to Phytoplankton. Based on the record of the oldest identifiable fossils, the first oxygenic photosynthetic organisms appeared about 2 {times} l0{sup 9} years ago in the form of marine single celled, planktonic procaryotes (Riding, 1992; Sarmiento and Bender, 1993). In the intervening eons, phytoplankton have evolved and diversified; presently they represent at least 11 classes of procaryotic and euacaryotic photoautotrophs. While the carbon of these organisms cumulatively amounts to only 1 to 2% of the global plant biomass, they fix between 35 and 50 gigatonnes ({times} 10{sup 9} metric tons) of carbon annually, about 40% of the global total (Falkowski and Woodhead, 1992). On average, each gram of phytoplankton chlorophyll converts about 6% of the photosynthetically active radiation (440 to 700 nm) incident on the sea surface to photochemical energy (Morel, 1978). Despite a great deal of variability in ocean environments, this photosynthetic conversion efficiency is relatively constant for integrated water column production (Morel, 1978; Falkowski, 1981; Platt, 1986; Morel, 1991). Here we review the factors determining light utilization efficiency of phytoplankton in the oceans, and the physiological acclimations which have evolved to optimize light utilization efficiency.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/143948}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Fri Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}

Conference:
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