Maximal growth rates of Antarctic phytoplankton: Only weak dependence on cell size

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography
• Main Author: Sommer, Ulrich
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ASLO (Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography) 1989
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/14139/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/14139/1/1109.pdf; https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1989.34.6.1109

Maximal growth rates of 15 Antarctic phytoplankton species at 0 degree C ranged from 0.32 to 0.72/d, showing only a weak dependence on cell size. Comparisons were made with two models for size dependence of temperature-corrected rates of maximal growth. Schlesinger's general phytoplankton model predicts a strong size dependence of growth rates and grossly underestimates the maximal growth rates of the larger species, but gives reasonable estimates for the smallest ones. Banse's marine diatom model assumes a weak size dependence of growth rates and gives generally better predictions.