Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island)
Mercury naturally contaminated environments, like Deception Island (Antarctica), are field labs to study the physiological consequences of chronic Hg-exposure at the community level. Deception Island volcanic vents lead to a continuous chronic exposure of the phytoplanktonic communities to potential...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38806 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 |
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ftunivlisboa:oai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/38806 2023-05-15T13:36:26+02:00 Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) Duarte, Bernardo Cabrita, Maria Teresa Vidal, Tânia Pereira, Joana Luísa Pacheco, Mário Pereira, Patrícia Canário, João Gonçalves, Fernando J.M. Matos, Ana Rita Rosa, Rui Marques, J. C. Caçador, Isabel Gameiro, C. 2019-06-25T10:27:57Z http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38806 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 eng eng 0141-1136 http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38806 doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 restrictedAccess Antarctica Hg contamination Phytoplankton Photochemistry article 2019 ftunivlisboa https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 2022-05-25T18:39:43Z Mercury naturally contaminated environments, like Deception Island (Antarctica), are field labs to study the physiological consequences of chronic Hg-exposure at the community level. Deception Island volcanic vents lead to a continuous chronic exposure of the phytoplanktonic communities to potentially toxic Hg concentrations. Comparing Hg-contaminated areas (Fumarolas Bay - FB, Gabriel de Castilla station - GdC station), no significant differences in chlorophyll a concentrations were detected, indicating that biomass production was not impaired by Hg-exposure despite the high Hg levels found in the cells. Moreover, the electron transport energy, responsible for energy production, also presented rather similar values in phytoplankton from both locations. Regarding FB communities, although the cells absorbed and trapped lower amounts of energy, the effect of Hg was not relevant in the photochemical work produced by the electronic transport chain. This might be due to the activation of alternative internal electron donors, as counteractive measure to the energy accumulated inside the cells. In fact, this alternative electron pathway, may have allowed FB communities to have similar electron transport energy fluxes without using respiration as photoprotective measure towards excessive energy. Hg-exposed cells also showed a shift from the energy flux towards the PS I (photosystem I), alleviating the excessive energy accumulation at the PS II (photosystem II) and preventing an oxidative burst. Our findings suggest a higher energy use efficiency in the communities exposed to volcanic Hg, which is not observable in cultured phytoplankton species grown under Hg exposure. This may constitute a metabolic adaptation, driven from chronic exposure allowing the maintenance of high levels of primary productivity under the assumingly unfavourable conditions of Deception Island. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Deception Island Universidade de Lisboa: repositório.UL Antarctic Deception Island ENVELOPE(-60.633,-60.633,-62.950,-62.950) Fumarolas ENVELOPE(-60.718,-60.718,-62.962,-62.962) Gabriel de Castilla ENVELOPE(-60.683,-60.683,-62.983,-62.983) Marine Environmental Research 140 412 421 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidade de Lisboa: repositório.UL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivlisboa |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Hg contamination Phytoplankton Photochemistry |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Hg contamination Phytoplankton Photochemistry Duarte, Bernardo Cabrita, Maria Teresa Vidal, Tânia Pereira, Joana Luísa Pacheco, Mário Pereira, Patrícia Canário, João Gonçalves, Fernando J.M. Matos, Ana Rita Rosa, Rui Marques, J. C. Caçador, Isabel Gameiro, C. Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Hg contamination Phytoplankton Photochemistry |
description |
Mercury naturally contaminated environments, like Deception Island (Antarctica), are field labs to study the physiological consequences of chronic Hg-exposure at the community level. Deception Island volcanic vents lead to a continuous chronic exposure of the phytoplanktonic communities to potentially toxic Hg concentrations. Comparing Hg-contaminated areas (Fumarolas Bay - FB, Gabriel de Castilla station - GdC station), no significant differences in chlorophyll a concentrations were detected, indicating that biomass production was not impaired by Hg-exposure despite the high Hg levels found in the cells. Moreover, the electron transport energy, responsible for energy production, also presented rather similar values in phytoplankton from both locations. Regarding FB communities, although the cells absorbed and trapped lower amounts of energy, the effect of Hg was not relevant in the photochemical work produced by the electronic transport chain. This might be due to the activation of alternative internal electron donors, as counteractive measure to the energy accumulated inside the cells. In fact, this alternative electron pathway, may have allowed FB communities to have similar electron transport energy fluxes without using respiration as photoprotective measure towards excessive energy. Hg-exposed cells also showed a shift from the energy flux towards the PS I (photosystem I), alleviating the excessive energy accumulation at the PS II (photosystem II) and preventing an oxidative burst. Our findings suggest a higher energy use efficiency in the communities exposed to volcanic Hg, which is not observable in cultured phytoplankton species grown under Hg exposure. This may constitute a metabolic adaptation, driven from chronic exposure allowing the maintenance of high levels of primary productivity under the assumingly unfavourable conditions of Deception Island. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Duarte, Bernardo Cabrita, Maria Teresa Vidal, Tânia Pereira, Joana Luísa Pacheco, Mário Pereira, Patrícia Canário, João Gonçalves, Fernando J.M. Matos, Ana Rita Rosa, Rui Marques, J. C. Caçador, Isabel Gameiro, C. |
author_facet |
Duarte, Bernardo Cabrita, Maria Teresa Vidal, Tânia Pereira, Joana Luísa Pacheco, Mário Pereira, Patrícia Canário, João Gonçalves, Fernando J.M. Matos, Ana Rita Rosa, Rui Marques, J. C. Caçador, Isabel Gameiro, C. |
author_sort |
Duarte, Bernardo |
title |
Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
title_short |
Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
title_full |
Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
title_fullStr |
Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated Antarctic ecosystem (Deception Island) |
title_sort |
phytoplankton community-level bio-optical assessment in a naturally mercury contaminated antarctic ecosystem (deception island) |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38806 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-60.633,-60.633,-62.950,-62.950) ENVELOPE(-60.718,-60.718,-62.962,-62.962) ENVELOPE(-60.683,-60.683,-62.983,-62.983) |
geographic |
Antarctic Deception Island Fumarolas Gabriel de Castilla |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Deception Island Fumarolas Gabriel de Castilla |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Deception Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Deception Island |
op_relation |
0141-1136 http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38806 doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 |
op_rights |
restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.07.014 |
container_title |
Marine Environmental Research |
container_volume |
140 |
container_start_page |
412 |
op_container_end_page |
421 |
_version_ |
1766078364939976704 |