Experiments on polar seaweeds ...

• Main Authors: Becker, Susanne, Walter, Bettina, Bischof, Kai
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2009
• Subjects: Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas SPP1158; Antarc*; Antarctic; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.744827; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.744827

Organisms populating benthic shallow water systems of both polar regions are adapted to a particularly harsh environment. We studied effects of freezing and the combination of high light intensities and low water temperatures on photosynthesis of key macroalgal species from the Arctic intertidal (Fucus distichus) and Antarctic subtidal (Palmaria decipiens). Photosynthetic activity of F. distichus specimens was monitored during the freezing process; there was a marked decrease in quantum yield with decreasing temperatures, and a rapid recovery as soon as temperatures increased again. Thus, under the experimental conditions tested, no indication of photodamage was found. Specimens of Palmaria were exposed to a combination of high light intensities and low water temperatures. A persistent impairment of photosynthetic activity occurred at 0°C at light intensities of 400 µmol photons m-2 s-1. In all treatments, there was a decreasing ratio of phycobiliproteins to chlorophyll a. Overall, the two studies provide ... : Data are archived in excel-files with german comments as submitted by the first author. No standardization of parameters and formats or quality control was done by the authors. ...