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Photosynthesis and Metabolism of Seagrasses

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Book cover Seagrasses of Australia

Abstract

Seagrasses have a unique leaf morphology where the major site for chloroplasts is in the epidermal cells , stomata are absent and aerenchyma is present inside the epidermis. This means that the major site for photosynthesis is in the epidermis. Furthermore the lack of stomata means that the route for carbon uptake is via inorganic carbon (Ci) uptake across the vestigial cuticle and through the outer plasma membranes. Since the leaf may at times be in an unstirred situation diffusion through an unstirred layer outside the leaf may be a large obstacle to carbon uptake. The existence of a carbon concentrating mechanism is discussed, but its existence to date is not proven. Active bicarbonate uptake across the plasmalemma does not seem to operate; an external carbonic anhydrase and an extrusion of protons seem to play a role in enhancing CO2 uptake. There is some evidence that a C4 mechanism plays a role in carbon fixation but more evidence from “omics” is required. Photorespiration certainly occurs in seagrasses and an active xanthophyll cycle is present to cope with damaging high light, but both these biochemical mechanisms need further work. Finally, epiphytes pose a problem which impedes the uptake of Ci and modifies the light environment inside the leaves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Anthony W. D. Larkum, Mathieu Pernice, Peter Davey & Peter J. Ralph

  2. Oncotec Pharma Produktion GmbH, Dessau-Roßlau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

    Martin Schliep

  3. Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged, 6726, Hungary

    Milan Szabo

  4. University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK

    John A. Raven

  5. Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000, Helsingør, Denmark

    Mads Lichtenberg & Kasper Elgetti Brodersen

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  1. Anthony W. D. Larkum
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Correspondence to Anthony W. D. Larkum .

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  1. Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Anthony W. D. Larkum

  2. School of Biological Sciences and the Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Autralia, Australia

    Gary A. Kendrick

  3. Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Peter J. Ralph

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Larkum, A.W.D. et al. (2018). Photosynthesis and Metabolism of Seagrasses. In: Larkum, A., Kendrick, G., Ralph, P. (eds) Seagrasses of Australia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_11

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