1. Differential sunlight sensitivity of picophytoplankton from surface Mediterranean Coastal Waters.
- Author
-
Sommaruga R, Hofer JS, Alonso-Sáez L, and Gasol JM
- Subjects
- Animals, Chlorophyll metabolism, Flow Cytometry, Mediterranean Sea, Phytoplankton growth & development, Phytoplankton physiology, Prochlorococcus growth & development, Prochlorococcus physiology, Synechococcus growth & development, Synechococcus physiology, Temperature, Phytoplankton radiation effects, Prochlorococcus radiation effects, Seawater microbiology, Sunlight, Synechococcus radiation effects
- Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2005
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