The pigmental composition and the absorption spectral analysis of Ulothrix sp. and benthic diatoms in the intertidal zone of Great Wall Station, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Xinghua, Mao, Baohua, Li, Fengpeng, Huang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 1995
• Subjects: Great Wall Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2094/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2094/1/A501.007.pdf

This paper reports the results of the absorption spectral analysis of Ulothrix sp. attached to the rocks from the intertidal zone in front of Great Wall Station, Antarctica in February 1989, and the benthic diatoms growing on small stones and on the edge of swamps of that zone. Six kinds of pigments were separated and identified in benthic diatoms. They are carotene, chlorophyll-a, fucoxanthin, chlorophyllin, neoxanthin and chlorophyll-c. Nine kinds of pigments were identified in Ulothrix sp. . They are carotinoid, pheophytin, chlorophyll-a, -b, chlorophyllin, chlorophyllide-a, neoxanthin, chlorophyll-c and pheophytin-c. The intertidal benthic diatoms and Ulothrix sp. have specific absorption spectra and there are also marked differences in the composition of algal pigments they contain. Since the pigments of marine algae show differences in their absorption spectra, the absorption spectrum can be used to identify the species of marine algae.