Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2022, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 101-110.doi: 10.11978/2021105CSTR: 32234.14.2021105

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Comparative study on photophysiology of four macroalgae from the Zhongsha Atoll, with special reference to the effects of temperature rise*

LI Gang1,2,3,4(), WAN Mingyue1,2,3,4, SHI Xiaohan5, QIN Geng1,2,4, MAI Guangming1,2,3,4, HUANG Liangmin1,4, TAN Yehui1,2,4, ZOU Dinghui5   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
    2. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
    3. Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Operational Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    5. School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
  • Received:2021-08-18 Revised:2021-10-08 Published:2021-10-12
  • Contact: LI Gang E-mail:ligang@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program(2018FY100104);National Natural Science Foundation(41890853);Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)(GML2019ZD0407);Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2022A1515011461);Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province(2017B020217002)

Abstract:

Macroalgae, together with corals, provide faunal foods and habitats in clear tropical waters, maintaining the rich biological diversity in coral reefs. In this paper, we compared biochemical compositions and photosynthetic features, as well as photophysiological responses to temperature rise of two red algae (i.e., Grateloupia ellipitica and Liagora samaensis) and two green algae (i.e., Udotea flabellum and Halimeda discoidea), the dominating macroalgae species in the Zhongsha Atoll of the South China Sea. Results showed that the red algae contain less chlorophyll a and carotenoids than the green ones, but contain the unique phycoerythrin and phycocyanin. Both the light compensation point (EC) and dark respiration (Rd) of the red algae are lower than the green algae. The temperature rise enhances EC, Rd and light utilization efficiency (α), as well as the daily carbon fixation of both red and green algae; and it lowers the saturation irradiance (EK) of the former algae species but enhances the maximum photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate (Pmax) of the later species. Moreover, the temperature rise enhances the photosynthetic rate of the red algae under lower light, but reduces it under higher light, while such temperature-induced enhancement on the photosynthetic rate of the green algae occurs throughout the measured light range. Considering the inter-specific photophysiological characteristics of the four macroalgae as well as the effects of temperature, the temperature rise would benefit the photosynthesis of macroalgae in the Zhongsha Atoll and benefit the red algae better than the green algae.

Key words: photosynthetic characteristic, temperature rise, macroalgae, Zhongsha atoll

CLC Number: 

  • Q945