Summary• A comparative study of copper (Cu) toxicity and tolerance in three populations of Fucus serratus was conducted by examining Cu 2+ effects on various physiological parameters.• Chlorophyll fluorescence, oxygen evolution, copper content, and relative growth rate of embryos and adults were measured on Cu 2+ -exposed material.• Algae naturally exposed to elevated total Cu concentration (Cu T ), were more Cu 2+ resistant than those from clean sites, as indicated by higher embryo and adult growth rates and lower copper contents. The Cu 2+ tolerance of F. serratus is at least partly inherited and relies partly on metal exclusion.• There were inhibitory effects of Cu 2+ on oxygen exchange rates in both tolerant and non-tolerant algae. By contrast to sensitive algae, the maximum efficiency of photosystem II ( F v / F m ), maximum fluorescence ( F m ) and zero fluorescence ( F o ) of resistant algae were unaffected by Cu 2+ , whereas decreased quantum yield ( Φ PSII) and increased nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) were most pronounced in resistant algae. Inhibitory effects of Cu 2+ on Φ PSII may result in the excitation energy being dissipated through xanthophyll-dependent quenching mechanisms in tolerant algae. In nontolerant algae, lower energy dissipation may result in chlorophyll degradation.
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