Effects of irradiance and nitrate on photosynthesis in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa

The effects of temperature, irradiance, and other environmental variables on photosynthesis in seagrasses are well understood. However, little information is available regarding the effects of the nitrate concentration in seawater on the photosynthetic characteristics of marine vegetation. Thus, the...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Cabello-Pasini, Alejandro, Sandoval-Gil, Jose M, Muñiz-Salazar, Raquel, Macias-Carranza, Víctor, Figueroa, Félix L
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:México
Recursos:UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA
Repositorio:Ciencias Marinas
Idioma:inglés
español
OAI Identifier:oai:cienciasmarinas.com.mx:article/3300
Acesso em linha:https://www.cienciasmarinas.com.mx/index.php/cmarinas/article/view/3300
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Cymodocea nodosa
in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence
nitrate
photosynthesis
seagrass
clorofila a in vivo
fluorescencia
nitrato
fotosíntesis
pasto marino
Descrição
Resumo:The effects of temperature, irradiance, and other environmental variables on photosynthesis in seagrasses are well understood. However, little information is available regarding the effects of the nitrate concentration in seawater on the photosynthetic characteristics of marine vegetation. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of the nitrate concentration in seawater on the effective quantum yield of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. Cymodocea nodosa shoots were incubated under different irradiance levels and with different nitrate concentrations. In contrast, a decrease in transmittance and an exponential increase in the absorptance of the shoots were observed as a function of increasing nitrate levels. Furthermore, the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) in C. nodosa shoots increased exponentially as the nitrate concentration in the media increased. The ΦPSII values in the shoots decreased as irradiance increased and reached minimum values at solar noon or 2 h afterward. However, the decrease of ΦPSII values was 4-fold greater in shoots incubated under full solar radiation (100% natural incident irradiance, Eo) compared to those of shoots incubated with 20% Eo. The ΦPSII values decreased to almost zero in shoots pre-incubated with no nitrate (0 μM NO3–), whereas ΦPSII values in shoots pre incubated with 25 and 100 μM NO3– decreased by approximately 25% of their initial values. Collectively, these results indicate that nitrogen levels in seawater regulate the effective quantum yield values of C. nodosa, which suggests that the photosynthetic characteristics of this seagrass might be regulated by fluctuating nitrate levels in the water column such as those that are observed in upwelling regions.