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Photorespiration and productivity rates of a coral reef algal turf assemblage

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Abstract

In studies conducted from 1982 to 1983, productivity (14C uptake) of a coral reef algal-turf assemblage was unaffected by oxygen concentration but decreased when pH rose, probably in response to declining CO2 and HCO -3 supplies. Release of prefixed 14C was substantially lower in the light than in the dark and was unaffected by oxygen concentration. Release of organic prefixed 14C was greater in the light than in darkness. Total CO2 compensation-points were low, showing no consistent response to oxygen or the photorespiratory inhibitor alpha-hydroxy-2-pyridine-methanesulfonic acid (HPMS). Oxygen has little if any influence upon turf productivity, which was high in comparison to other benthic algae. Decreases in net carbon-fixation rates of this turf more likely result from decreased photosynthesis than increased photorespiration, which is either not significant in turf metabolism under natural conditions or is compensated by efficient refixation of respired carbon.

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  1. J. M. Hackney

    Present address: Institute of Paper Chemistry, P.O. Box 1039, 54912, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

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  1. Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 20057, Washington, D.C., USA

    J. M. Hackney & P. Sze

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Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa

This paper describes research by J. M. Hackney in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at Georgetown University

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Hackney, J.M., Sze, P. Photorespiration and productivity rates of a coral reef algal turf assemblage. Marine Biology 98, 483–492 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391539

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