Meyer, Angélique (2021) The effect of prolonged darkness on the photo-physiology of Arctic diatoms and flagellates, and their recovery potential after re-illumination. Master's Research Project 1, Marine Biology.
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Abstract
The Arctic Ocean is an environment defined by strong fluctuations in light availability, with periods of total darkness in winter to strong and perpetual irradiance in summer. Arctic phytoplankton need to be adapted to survive the polar night, which can last up to 6 months in the higher latitudes. It was suggested that diatoms hold better dark-survival traits than flagellates, which could then influence their temporal and geographical distribution across the polar ocean. I selected 6 species of Arctic phytoplankton: 3 diatoms (Thalassiosira hispida, Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii, Chaetoceros sp.), and 3 flagellates (Imantonia sp., Rhodomonas sp., and a chlorophyte) and investigated the effects of prolonged darkness on their photosynthetic machinery, as well as subsequent recovery upon re-exposure to irradiance. The phytoplankton cultures were incubated in the dark for 8 weeks, and a subsample was weekly put back into light for 5 consecutive days. Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) was used to assess their photosynthetic characteristics, both during the dark treatment and after return into light. In darkness, degradation of the photosynthetic machinery was observed in all species.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master's Research Project 1) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Poll, W.H. van de |
| Degree programme: | Marine Biology |
| Thesis type: | Master's Research Project 1 |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jan 2022 10:18 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jan 2022 10:18 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/26457 |
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