measuring-photophysiology-attached-stage-colacium-sp-cuvette-type

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of <em>Colacium</em> sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer

Fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRf) is a beneficial method for measuring photosystem II (PSII) photophysiology and primary productivity. Although FRRf ...

Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute

Seasonal changes in diffuse ultraviolet (UV) and visible light attenuations and inherent optical properties in the lake water were monitored at the pelagic and littoral shallow zones of Lake Biwa which features a broad range of optical conditions within a single large water body. We considered the absorption factors that affect UV attenuation, and clarified the contribution of the absorption of suspended particles and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) by multiple regression analyses of the monitoring data. The variability of UV attenuations in the lake demonstrated a strong contrast between the pelagic and the shallow zones. The latter were characterized by turbid systems supplying suspended matter as well as CDOM, whereas the former was far from the turbid systems in the littoral zone or the lake bottom. In this lake, the regulation of UV and light attenuations is rendered competitive by the absorption of suspended particles and CDOM in the lake water, hence, the UV penetration has both spatial and temporal variability based on changes in the physical and biological condition of the lake.

Spatial and seasonal variations in attenuation of solar ultraviolet radiation in Lake Biwa, Japan.

Direct measurements of gross primary productivity (GPP) in the water column are essential, but can be spatially and temporally restrictive. Fast repetition rate fluorometry (FRRf) is a bio-optical technique based on chlorophyll a (Chl-a) fluorescence that can estimate the electron transport rate (ETRPSII) at photosystem II (PSII) of phytoplankton in real time. However, the derivation of phytoplankton GPP in carbon units from ETRPSII remains challenging because the electron requirement for carbon fixation (Фe,C), which is mechanistically 4 mol e- mol C-1 or above, can vary depending on multiple factors. In addition, FRRf studies are limited in freshwater lakes where phosphorus limitation and cyanobacterial blooms are common. The goal of the present study is to construct a robust Фe,C model for freshwater ecosystems using simultaneous measurements of ETRPSII by FRRf with multi-excitation wavelengths coupled with a traditional carbon fixation rate by the 13C method. The study was conducted in oligotrophic and mesotrophic parts of Lake Biwa from July 2018 to May 2019. The combination of excitation light at 444, 512 and 633 nm correctly estimated ETRPSII of cyanobacteria. The apparent range of Фe,C in the phytoplankton community was 1.1-31.0 mol e- mol C-1 during the study period. A generalised linear model showed that the best fit including 12 physicochemical and biological factors explained 67% of the variance in Фe,C. Among all factors, water temperature was the most significant, while photosynthetically active radiation intensity was not. This study quantifies the in situ FRRf method in a freshwater ecosystem, discusses core issues in the methodology to calculate Фe,C, and assesses the applicability of the method for lake GPP prediction.

Kazuhide Hayakawa

Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of Colacium sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer