Eco-physiological data on Laminaria solidungula and Saccharina latissima from Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen, during the polar night 2016/17 ...

• Main Authors: Scheschonk, Lydia, Becker, Stefan, Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik, Diehl, Nora, Karsten, Ulf, Bischof, Kai
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2019
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change; Eco-physiology; kelps; Kongsfjorden; polar night; Svalbard; Global warming; Kongsfjord*; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.903529; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.903529

Kelps, perennial brown seaweeds of the order Laminariales, are foundational species in Arctic coastal ecosystems. Presently, their ability to persist under polar night conditions might be significantly affected by increasing winter temperatures. We assessed physiological parameters (photosynthesis, pigment content, respiration, carbohydrate storage) in two species of Arctic kelp, the boreal-temperate Saccharina latissima and the Arctic-endemic Laminaria solidungula, during the polar night 2016/17. Algae were sampled from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, 78° 55' N, shortly before the onset of the dark period in October, and at the end of the polar night in early February. Analyses were conducted for different tissue sections along the phylloid (Meristem, Centre Region, Distal Region). Data suggest that kelp maintain their photosynthetic competence throughout the entire winter period, as indicated by PE-curve-parameters, and photosynthetic pigment contents. Overall laminarin content was reduced by 96 % in S. latissima, ... : Supplement to: Scheschonk, Lydia; Becker, Stefan; Hehemann, Jan-Hendrik; Diehl, Nora; Karsten, Ulf; Bischof, Kai (2019): Arctic kelp eco-physiology during the polar night in the face of global warming: a crucial role for laminarin. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 611, 59-74 ...