Ultraviolet radiation shapes seaweed communities

Abstract

Stratospheric ozone depletion and the concomitant increase in irradiance of ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) at the earth's surface represent major threats to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In costal rocky shore environments, seaweeds constitute a group of organisms of particular significance to ecosystem function. Thus, impairment of seaweed performance by UVB-exposure may result in severe changes in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. Here we present our view on how UVB radiation affects seaweed physiology and ecology and, thus, shapes the coastal environment by affecting the spatial, species and functional structure of seaweed communities.

Effects of UV radiation on five marine microphytobenthic Wadden sea diatoms, isolated from the Solthörn tidal flat (Lower Saxony, southern North Sea) – Part II: changes in carbohydrate, amino acid and fatty acid composition

“…Hence peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids has a direct effect on membrane structure and the formation of lipid peroxy radicals can induce further damage (Murphy, 1983;Bischof et al, 2007). Several studies have reported that UV-B has qualitative effects on the distribution of fatty acids (FA) in algae (e.g.…”

Physiological responses of the calcifying rhodophyte, Corallina officinalis (L.), to future CO2 levels

“…Gao and Zheng (2010) suggested that the inorganic skeleton of C. sessilis provides protection from UV exposure, due to the exacerbated inhibition of photosynthesis they observed under the combined stress of elevated CO 2 concentrations and UV exposure in this species. Moreover, as UV radiation as a single stress factor was shown to strongly aVect competition between non-calcifying rhodophytes (Bischof et al 2000(Bischof et al , 2006, the combination of these two stressors might have strong inXuences on community structure. Furthermore, several studies have shown that biotic and abiotic stressors such as increased grazing pressure and high CO 2 levels lower recruitment of crustose calcifying algae (Belliveau and Paul 2002, Martin et al 2008, while turf macroalgal cover increases (Russell et al 2009;Connell and Russell 2010;Russell et al 2011).…”

UV effects on photosynthesis and DNA in propagules of three Antarctic seaweeds (Adenocystis utricularis, Monostroma hariotii and Porphyra endiviifolium)

“…Recovery after photodamage of the D1 protein of photosystem II is reXected by the new synthesis of this protein (Bischof et al 1998). Other strategies can be avoidance of UVR or the production of screening compounds (reviewed in Franklin and Forster 1997;Bischof et al 2006). Furthermore, DNA damage can be repaired enzymatically by light-dependent photolyases and light-independent nucleotide excision (van de Poll et al 2002).…”