Abstract
In many areas of photobiology, interest is usually focused on the mechanism of a photochemical reaction. In the more complex systems such as the photosynthetic membranes and the phytochromes, structural aspects and biochemical regulation must also be considered. The distinguishing feature of environmental photobiology is in the attempt to integrate the photobiological mechanisms first, into the complete organism, and second, into the relationships among the organisms making up an ecosystem or a portion of an ecosystem. In the aquatic ecosystem, environmental photobiology might be concerned with the fact that an increase in water turbidity due to increased delivery of sediment to a tributary estuary might eliminate rooted aquatic plants because of lack of sufficient sunlight. The photobiological processes of photosynthesis have not changed, but because certain specific thresholds have not been reached—in this case, the light intensity compensation point for photosynthesis, i.e, the underwater light intensity for the aquatic plants at which the uptake of free energy from sunlight is equal to the energy expended by the plant in keeping alive (lumped into the general term respiration)—the plant will die or will not reproduce. This in turn may reduce the number of higher-trophic-level organisms, fish or crabs, that utilize these plants for food or refuge.
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Seliger, H.H. (1977). Environmental Photobiology. In: Smith, K.C. (eds) The Science of Photobiology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1713-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1713-5_6
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