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Solar Lake (Sinai). 2. Distribution of photosynthetic microorganisms and primary production 1
Author(s) -
Cohen Yehuda,
Krumbein Wolfgang E.,
Shilo Moshe
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1977.22.4.0609
Subject(s) - epilimnion , anoxygenic photosynthesis , hypolimnion , phototroph , chromatium , water column , oscillatoria , thermocline , stratification (seeds) , cyanobacteria , photosynthesis , primary production , chemocline , bloom , botany , environmental science , biology , ecology , eutrophication , bacteria , nutrient , ecosystem , seed dormancy , genetics , germination , dormancy
The seasonal and vertical distributions of sulfur photosynthetic bacteria and cyanobacteria in Solar Lake, and their contribution to primary production, are described. During stratification, separate plates of the phototrophic sulfur bacteria Chromatium violescens and Prosthecochloris sp. develop. A bottom cyanobacterial bloom consisting of Oscillatoria spp. and Microcoleus sp. develops H 2 Sconcentrations up to 39 ppm and under light conditions down to 0.5% of surface light. The occurrence of a cyanobacterial bloom in the hypolimnion is explained by the facultative anoxygenic photosynthesis of Oscillatoria limnetica. Primary production is extremely high during stratification and reaches a maximum of 8,015 mg C m −2 d −1 , 91% of which is produced in the metalimnion and hypolimnion. The overall annual production (59.09 g C m −2 yr −1 ) is low, owing to extremely low primary production in the epilimnion throughout stratification and in the whole column during holomixis. Stagnant conditions in a shallow body of water exposed to high irradiation leads to an inverse productivity profile.