Light utilization and photoinhibition of photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton
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.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States); Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 143948
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-49821; CONF-9309312-1; ON: DE94005505; CNN: Grant DW 89935239-01-1; Grant UPN 161350508
- 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
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