DISTRIBUTION OF CARBON AMONG PHOTOSYNTHETIC END‐PRODUCTS IN PHYTOPLANKTON OF THE EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC 1

• Published in: Journal of Phycology
• Main Authors: William K. W. Li, Platt, Trevor
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1982
• Subjects: Arctic; Phytoplankton
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-8817.1982.tb03211.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1529-8817.1982.tb03211.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1529-8817.1982.tb03211.x

ABSTRACT The distribution of 14 C among photosynthetic end‐products was examined in eastern Canadian arctic phytoplankton, with particular emphasis on the synthesis of lipids. The pattern of 14 C distribution for phytoplankton at each of three depths was generally similar among populations from 12 stations. About 18% of the total 14 C fixed was incorporated into lipids. At one station, phytoplankton were experimentally subjected to temperature and light conditions different from those in situ: lipid‐ 14 C did not exceed 30% of total 14 C fixed within the temperature range ‐1.0 to 6.0° C and irradiance range 1 to 700 W · m −2 . It is suggested that low temperatures and low light intensities, even when, maintained for prolonged periods, are not fully sufficient conditions for eliciting high relative rates of 14 C incorporation into lipids. It is possible that differences in species composition may be a factor accounting for different patterns of 14 C distribution between north and south polar phytoplankton under apparently similar environmental conditions.