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Determination of photosynthetic rates for the marine algae Fucus vesiculosus and Laminaria digitata

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Abstract

A continuously recording, flow-through oxygen electrode system for the measurement of oxygen exchange is described and applied to an investigation of photosynthetic rates in the marine algae Fucus vesiculosus L. and Laminaria digitata (Huds.) Lam. The photosynthetic rate (mg O2.g dry weight-1.h-1) at 15°C and 21.5 mW.cm-2 (usually just saturating) ranges in F. vesiculosus from 1.20 in basal portions of the thallus to 9.27 at the apices and in L. digitata from 1.19 mg O2 at the thallus base to 3.97 mg O2 at distances of several centimetres behind the upper thallus margin. This variation is reduced when the photosynthetic rate is expressed in terms of fresh weight or surface area.

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Literature Cited

  • Green, E. J. and D.E. Carritt: New tables for oxygen saturation of seawater. J. mar. Res. 25, 140–147 (1967)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany School, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

    R. J. King

  2. Institut für Meereskunde an der Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany (FRG)

    W. Schramm

Authors
  1. R. J. King
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  2. W. Schramm
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Additional information

Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Sydney

This research was carried out while one of us (R.J.K.) was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the University of Kiel, and is part of the programme “Sonderforschungsbereich 95, Wechselwirkung Meer-Meeresboden, Universität Kiel”.

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King, R.J., Schramm, W. Determination of photosynthetic rates for the marine algae Fucus vesiculosus and Laminaria digitata . Mar. Biol. 37, 209–213 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387605

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387605

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