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Influence of light and temperature on the photosynthetic rate of marine benthic diatoms

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Abstract

The influence of light and temperature on photosynthetic rate as measured by C14O2-fixation of marine benthic diatoms was investigated, using both intact sediment samples (Marshall et al., 1973) and suspensions of diatoms harvested by a lenstissue technique (Eaton and Moss, 1966). After C14-incubation, sediment samples were filtered, burned in a sample oxidizer, and their activity determined in a liquid scintillation counter. Photosynthetic rate of mixed field populations is saturated by a light intensity of approximately 10,000 lux; at still higher light intensities no photoinhibition was found. In contrast to the mixed field populations, unialgal cultures of the benthic diatom Amphiprora alata Kütz. exhibited strong photoinhibition at higher light intensities (10,000 to 60,000 lux). Within a range of 4° to 20°C, the photosynthetic rate increased about 10%/Co. No differences in photosynthetic pattern were observed between epipelic and epipsammic species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematic Botany, Biological Centre of the University of Groningen, Haren (Gr.), The Netherlands

    F. Colijn & G. van Buurt

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  1. F. Colijn
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  2. G. van Buurt
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Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg

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Colijn, F., van Buurt, G. Influence of light and temperature on the photosynthetic rate of marine benthic diatoms. Mar. Biol. 31, 209–214 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387148

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387148

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