Effects of variable irradiance on phytoplankton productivity in shallow estuaries

Mallin, Michael A.; Paerl, Hans W.

doi:10.4319/lo.1992.37.1.0054

Cited by 115 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…1, followed by the addition of 0.3 m1 of 14C-NaHC03 (7.5 pCi ml-l, 58 mCi mmol-l; ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc.). Incubations were conducted in the IMS outdoor pond system for 3 to 4 h during mldday under natural light and temperature conditions, using a light field simul.ator, mlmicking variable light regimes experienced in the Neuse River Estuary water column (Mallin & Paerl 1992). After incubation, 50 to 125 m1 sub-samples (depending on particulate matter content) were filtered at 200 torr vacuum through 25 mm Whatman GF/F glass fiber filters.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem responses to internal and watershed organic matter loading:consequences for hypoxia in the eutrophying Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Paerl¹,

Pinckney²,

Fear³

et al. 1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

474

328

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ABSTRACT. The contrasting impacts of externally supplied (runoff) and internally generated (nutrientstimulated phytoplankton blooms) organic matter on oxygen (02) depletion were examined and evaluated in the eutrophic, salinity-stratified Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA. This nitrogen (N)-limited estuary is experiencing increasing anthropogenic N loading from expanding urban, agricultural and industrial development in its watershed. Resultant algal blooms, which provided organic matter loads capable of causing extensive low O2 (hypoxic) and depleted O2 (anoxic) conditions, have induced widespread mortality of resident fin-and shellfish. Phytoplankton blooms followed periods of elevated N loading, except during extremely high runoff periods (e.g. hurricanes), when high rates of flushing and reduced water residence times did not allow sufficient time for bloom development. During these periods, hypoxia and anoxia were dominated by watershed-derived organic matter loading. Externally vs internally generated organic matter loading scenarios were examined in sequential years (1994 to 1996) to compare the differential impacts of an average discharge year ( l 0 yr mean hydrological conditions) (1994), N-stimulated summer algal blooms [1995), and a major hurricane (Fran; September 1996). The responses of primary production, hypoxia, and anoxia to these hydrologically contrasting years and resultant organic matter loadings help distinguish watershed from internal forcing of 0, dynamics and fish kills.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem responses to internal and watershed organic matter loading:consequences for hypoxia in the eutrophying Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Paerl¹,

Pinckney²,

Fear³

et al. 1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

474

328

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Harding et al, 1986;Prézelin, 1992). However, some authors argued that in a well-mixed and turbid water column, where the light history of algal cells is highly depending on turbulent mixing (Cullen and Lewis, 1988), phytoplankton is acclimated to a mean irradiance between the bottom and the surface (Demers et al, 1986;Mallin and Paerl, 1992). More recently, a number of authors have tried to link this variation of the photosynthetic parameters with the internal molecular machinery of the chloroplast Kana et al, 1997;MacIntyre et al, 2002;Han, 2002).…”

Section: Rate Of Algal Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When subjected to surface irradiances, phytoplankton cells may suffer photo-inhibitory effects, especially when acclimated to low-light intensities (Mallin and Paerl, 1992;MacIntyre and Cullen, 1996). However, photoinhibition is not an instantaneous process (Melis, 1999), and the timescale for full development of photoinhibition may vary between 0.5 and 1.5 h (Pahl-Wostl and Imboden, 1990).…”

Section: Rate Of Algal Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Control of phytoplankton production by physical forcing in a strongly tidal, well-mixed estuary

et al. 2005

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Abstract.A zero-dimensional model for phytoplanktonic production in turbid, macro-tidal, well-mixed estuaries is proposed. It is based on the description of light-dependent algal growth, phytoplankton respiration and mortality. The model is forced by simple time-functions for solar irradiance, water depth and light penetration. The extinction coefficient is directly related to the dynamics of suspended particulate matter. Model results show that the description of phytoplankton growth must operate at a time resolution sufficiently high to describe the interference between solarly and tidally driven physical forcing functions. They also demonstrate that in shallow to moderately deep systems, simulations using averaged, instead of time-varying, forcing functions lead to significant errors in the estimation of phytoplankton productivity. The highest errors are observed when the temporal pattern of light penetration, linked to the tidal cycle of solids settling and resuspension, is neglected. The model has also been applied using realistic forcing functions typical of two locations in the Scheldt estuary. Model results are consistent with the typical phytoplankton decay observed along the longitudinal, seaward axis in the tidal river and oligohaline part of this estuary.

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“…Several workers studied the effect that fluctuations in the light field have on productivity (e.g., Gallegos and Platt, 1985;Mallin and Pearl, 1992;Franks and Marra, 1994;MacIntyre and Geider, 1996;Flameling and Kromkamp, 1997). One central issue related to the effect of light fluctuations on productivity is the occurrence of photoinhibition in response to high irradiance levels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of incubation periods on photosynthesis–irradiance curves

Macedo

Duarte

Ferreira

2002

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

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In phytoplankton primary production studies, samples for the determination of photosynthesis versus irradiance relationship ( P -I) are usually incubated at several irradiance levels during a fixed time period, commonly 2 -4 h. However, it is not clear if the use of this fixed incubation time is appropriate to study the P -I relationship in any given ecosystem. The aim of this work was to study the influence of incubation time on the P -I relationship in natural phytoplankton populations from three different coastal ecosystems: an open coastal area, an estuary, and a coastal lagoon. Physical and chemical variables, phytoplankton biomass, species composition, and P -I curves were analysed. The results showed that, in the coastal area and in the estuary, P -I relationships were time dependent, whereas in the coastal lagoon different incubation periods produced the same P -I curve. An underestimation of daily primary production, ranging from 13% to 42.5%, was calculated when data from standard incubation times (2 -4 h) were used in ecosystems where P -I curves present a dynamic time-dependent behaviour. This work suggests that the response of the P -I curves to the incubation time varies with the characteristics of the ecosystem and is related to the light regime to which phytoplankton cells are adapted. D

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Effects of variable irradiance on phytoplankton productivity in shallow estuaries

Cited by 115 publications

References 19 publications

Ecosystem responses to internal and watershed organic matter loading:consequences for hypoxia in the eutrophying Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Ecosystem responses to internal and watershed organic matter loading:consequences for hypoxia in the eutrophying Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Control of phytoplankton production by physical forcing in a strongly tidal, well-mixed estuary

The influence of incubation periods on photosynthesis–irradiance curves

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