• Energy Research

AbstractWe carried out experiments during an expedition (14 August to 14 September, 2007) that covered up to 250 000 km2 to investigate the effects of solar UV radiation (UVR, 280–400 nm) on the photosynthetic carbon fixation of tropical phytoplankton assemblages in surface seawater of the South China Sea. From coastal to pelagic surface seawaters, UV‐B (280–315 nm) caused similar inhibition, while UV‐A (315–400 nm) induced photosynthetic inhibition increased from coastal to offshore waters. UV‐B resulted in an inhibition by up to 27% and UV‐A by up to 29%. Under reduced levels of solar radiation with heavy overcast, UV‐A resulted in enhanced photosynthetic carbon fixation by up to 25% in coastal waters where microplankton was abundant. However, such a positive impact was not observed in the offshore waters where piconanoplankton was more abundant. The daily integrated inhibition of UV‐A reached 4.3% and 13.2%, and that of UV‐B reached 16.5% and 13.5%, in the coastal and offshore waters, respectively.

Abstract. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration is responsible for progressive ocean acidification, ocean warming as well as decreased thickness of upper mixing layer (UML), thus exposing phytoplankton cells not only to lower pH and higher temperatures but also to higher levels of solar UV radiation. In order to evaluate the combined effects of ocean acidification, UV radiation and temperature, we used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model organism and examined its physiological performance after grown under two CO2 concentrations (390 and 1000 µatm) for more than 20 generations. Compared to the ambient CO2 level (390 µatm), growth at the elevated CO2 concentration increased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of cells and partially counteracted the harm to PSII caused by UV-A and UV-B. Such an effect was less pronounced under increased temperature levels. As for photosynthetic carbon fixation, the rate increased with increasing temperature from 15 to 25 °C, regardless of their growth CO2 levels. In addition, UV-induced inhibition of photosynthesis was inversely correlated to temperature. The ratio of repair to UV-induced damage showed inverse relationship with increased NPQ, showing higher values under the ocean acidification condition against UV-B, reflecting that the increased pCO2 and lowered pH counteracted UV-B induced harm.

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration is responsible for progressive ocean acidification, ocean warming as well as decreased thickness of upper mixing layer (UML), thus exposing phytoplankton cells not only to lower pH and higher temperatures but also to higher levels of solar UV radiation. In order to evaluate the combined effects of ocean acidification, UV radiation and temperature, we used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model organism and examined its physiological performance after grown under two CO2 concentrations (390 and 1000 µatm) for more than 20 generations. Compared to the ambient CO2 level (390 µatm), growth at the elevated CO2 concentration increased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of cells and partially counteracted the harm to PS II (photosystem II) caused by UV-A and UV-B. Such an effect was less pronounced under increased temperature levels. The ratio of repair to UV-B induced damage decreased with increased NPQ, reflecting induction of NPQ when repair dropped behind the damage, and it was higher under the ocean acidification condition, showing that the increased pCO2 and lowered pH counteracted UV-B induced harm. As for photosynthetic carbon fixation rate which increased with increasing temperature from 15 to 25 °C, the elevated CO2 and temperature levels synergistically interacted to reduce the inhibition caused by UV-B and thus increase the carbon fixation. In order to allow full comparability with other ocean acidification data sets, the R package seacarb (Lavigne and Gattuso, 2011) was used to compute a complete and consistent set of carbonate system variables, as described by Nisumaa et al. (2010). In this dataset the original values were archived in addition with the recalculated parameters (see related PI). The date of carbonate chemistry calculation by seacarb is 2013-11-15. Supplement to: Li, Yahe; Gao, Kunshan; Villafañe, Virginia E; Helbling, E Walter (2012): Ocean acidification mediates photosynthetic response to UV radiation and temperature increase in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Biogeosciences, 9(10), 3931-3942

Anthropogenic CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere and trapping reflected infrared radiation, resulting in warming of both terrestrial and ocean ecosystems. At the same time, the dissolution of CO2 into seawater is increasing surface ocean acidity, a process known as ocean acidification. Effects of ocean acidification on marine primary producers have been docu- mented to be stimulative, inhibitive, or neutral. Elevated CO2 and reduced pH levels can interact with solar radiation, which fluctuates over different time scales from limiting to saturating or even stressful levels, to bring about synergistic, antagonistic, or balanced effects on marine primary producers at different depths or under changing weather conditions. However, shoaling of the upper mixed layer (enhanced stratification) due to ocean warming and freshening (rain, ice melt- ing) can lead to additional photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet (UV) expo- sure, which can have both benefits and costs to photosynthetic organisms. Elevated CO2 concen- trations under low or moderate levels of PAR have been shown to enhance photosynthesis or growth of both phytoplankton and macroalgae; excessive levels of PAR, however, can lead to additional inhibition of photosynthesis or growth under elevated CO2, and addition of UV radia- tion (280 to 400 nm) can increase or down-regulate such inhibition, since solar UV-B (280 to 315 nm) radiation often harms algal cells, while UV-A (315 to 400 nm) at moderate levels stimu- lates photosynthetic carbon fixation in both phytoplankton and macroalgae. In view of warming effects, increased temperatures have been shown to enhance photorepair of UV-damaged mole- cules, though it simultaneously enhances respiratory carbon loss. The net effects of ocean acidifi- cation on marine primary producers are therefore largely dependent on the photobiological con- ditions (light limitation, light or UV stress), as well as interactions with rising temperature and other variables such as altered nutrient availability. Hence, feedbacks between changing carbon- ate chemistry and solar radiation across the entire spectrum present complications to interpret and understand ocean acidification effects based on single-factor experiments.

AbstractBlooms of microalgal red tides and macroalgae (e.g., green and golden tides caused by Ulva and Sargassum) have caused widespread problems around China in recent years, but there is uncertainty around what triggers these blooms and how they interact. Here, we use 30 years of monitoring data to help answer these questions, focusing on the four main species of microalgae Prorocentrum donghaiense, Karenia mikimotoi, Noctiluca scintillans, and Skeletonema costatum) associated with red tides in the region. The frequency of red tides increased from 1991 to 2003 and then decreased until 2020, with S. costatum red tides exhibiting the highest rate of decrease. Green tides started to occur around China in 1999 and the frequency of green tides has since been on the increase. Golden tides were first reported to occur around China in 2012. The frequency of macroalgal blooms has a negative linear relationship with the frequency and coverage of red tides around China, and a positive correlation with total nitrogen and phosphorus loads as well as with atmospheric CO2 and sea surface temperature (SST). Increased outbreaks of macroalgal blooms are very likely due to worsening levels of eutrophication, combined with rising CO2 and SST, which contribute to the reduced frequency of red tides. The increasing grazing rate of microzooplankton also results in the decline in areas affected by red tides. This study shows a clear shift of algal blooms from microalgae to macroalgae around China over the past 30 years driven by the combination of eutrophication, climate change, and grazing stress, indicating a fundamental change in coastal systems in the region.

The economic red alga, Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory, was grown at different depths in the coastal waters of the South China Sea, and its growth, pigments, ultra-violet (UV)-absorbing compounds and agar yield were investigated in order to see the impacts of depth change. Gracilaria lemaneiformis grew slower at greater depths in March, while the highest relative growth rate (RGR) was found at about 1.0 m depth in April, about 9% higher than that at surface water (0.5 m below the surface). The RGR increased with the increasing daily photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) dose received by the thalli at different depths. The contents of phycoerythrin and chlorophyll a increased, while that of UV-absorbing compounds (UVAC, absorption peak at 325 nm) decreased with increased depth. The highest levels of the UVAC in the thalli grown in surface seawater played a protective role against solar UV radiation (280–400 nm). The content of UVAC declined at deeper depths and under indoor low PAR. The agar yield of the thalli increased with the increasing depths, with the highest content found at 3.5 m depth.

Climate change is expected to bring about alterations in the marine physical and chemical environment that will induce changes in the concentration of dissolved CO(2) and in nutrient availability. These in turn are expected to affect the physiological performance of phytoplankton. In order to learn how phytoplankton respond to the predicted scenario of increased CO(2) and decreased nitrogen in the surface mixed layer, we investigated the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model organism. The cells were cultured in both low CO(2) (390 μatm) and high CO(2) (1000 μatm) conditions at limiting (10 μmol L(-1)) or enriched (110 μmol L(-1)) nitrate concentrations. Our study shows that nitrogen limitation resulted in significant decreases in cell size, pigmentation, growth rate and effective quantum yield of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, but these parameters were not affected by enhanced dissolved CO(2) and lowered pH. However, increased CO(2) concentration induced higher rETR(max) and higher dark respiration rates and decreased the CO(2) or dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) affinity for electron transfer (shown by higher values for K(1/2 DIC) or K(1/2 CO2)). Furthermore, the elemental stoichiometry (carbon to nitrogen ratio) was raised under high CO(2) conditions in both nitrogen limited and nitrogen replete conditions, with the ratio in the high CO(2) and low nitrate grown cells being higher by 45% compared to that in the low CO(2) and nitrate replete grown ones. Our results suggest that while nitrogen limitation had a greater effect than ocean acidification, the combined effects of both factors could act synergistically to affect marine diatoms and related biogeochemical cycles in future oceans.