MORPHO-FUNCTIONAL PATTERNS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC KELPLESSONIA NIGRESCENS: EFFECTS OF UV RADIATION ON14C FIXATION AND PRIMARY PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
The morpho-functional patterns of photosynthesis, measured as 14C-fixation and chl fluorescence of PSII, also as affected by different doses of UV radiation in the laboratory were examined in the South Pacific kelp Lessonia nigrescens Bory of the coast of Valdivia, Chile (40°S). The results indicated the existence of longitudinal thallus profiles in physiological performance. In general, blades exhibited higher rates of carbon fixation and pigmentation as compared with stipes and holdfasts. Light-independent 14C fixation (LICF) was high in meristematic zones of the blades (3.5 μmol 14C·g−1 fresh weight [FW]·h−1), representing 2%–16% (percentage ratio) of the photosynthetic 14C fixation (20 …
Photosynthesis of the red alga Gracilaria chilensis under natural solar radiation in an estuary in southern Chile
The photosynthetic performance and pigment content of Gracilaria chilensis Bird, McLachlan, and Oliveira were measured under natural solar radiation in the Quempillen river estuary (southern Chile) in order to assess the short-term acclimation of this species to the current levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during midsummer. The effect of the tidal fluctuation was evaluated in algae exposed for 3 days to two light climates in cages suspended at two depths (0.5 and 1.5 m from the bottom). Responses to high solar radiation at noon were also assessed to gain insights into rapid photochemical kinetics and the degree of photoinhibition. Results indicated that G. chilensis is a shade-adapted s…