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Depth distribution of canopy‐forming algae of the order Fucales is related to their photosynthetic features
Author(s) -
Sant Natàlia,
Ballesteros Enric
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12651
Subject(s) - fucales , photosynthesis , algae , canopy , compensation point , saturation (graph theory) , botany , respiration , biology , mathematics , transpiration , combinatorics
Photosynthetic features and dark respiration of different species of dominant canopy‐forming algae of the Order Fucales (Phaeophyceae) consistently change with depth. Photosynthetic efficiency (α) and light at compensation ( I c ) change according to the amount of light available at each depth, α increasing and I c decreasing with depth. However, the values of light at saturation ( I k ) do not show any depth pattern. Deep‐water species show higher photosynthesis at saturation ( P max ) and lower dark respiration ( R d ) than shallow water ones. This result contrasts with the expected reduction of P max in low light environments shown by terrestrial plants but is consistent with other studies performed in macroalgae, suggesting that P max and α show the same trend of variation in the marine environment. The positive correlation between P max and α cannot be explained by differences in thickness as all tested species show an extremely high morphological similarity. The increase in P max with depth is also coupled to an increase of N and P content in branches, which points to nutrient‐limited photosynthesis in shallow water species.