Photoadaptive Responses in the Tropical Brown Seaweed, Lobophora Variegata (Lamour) Womers
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 1982 PHOTOADAPTIVE RESPONSES IN THE TROPICAL BROWN SEAWEED, LOBOPHORA VARIEGATA (LAMOUR) WOMERS CHRISTOPHER DAVID NEEFUS Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation NEEFUS, CHRISTOPHER DAVID, "PHOTOADAPTIVE RESPONSES IN THE TROPICAL BROWN SEAWEED, LOBOPHORA VARIEGATA (LAMOUR) WOMERS" (1982). Doctoral Dissertations. 1322. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/1322 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 8227432 Neefus, Christopher David PHOTO ADAPTIVE RESPONSES IN THE TROPICAL BROWN SEAWEED, LOBOPHORA VARIEGATA (LAMOUR.) WOMERS. University o f New Hampshire PH.D. 1982 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 PHOTOADAPTIVE RESPONSES IN THE TROPICAL BROWN SEAWEED, LOBOPHORA VARIEGATA (LAMOUR.) WOMERS. BY CHRISTOPHER DAVID NEEFUS B.A. (Biology), Boston University, 1971 A DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Botany May, 1982 This dissertation has been examined and approved. DisseV’tatFon” Frector^ Arthur~cF MathFeson Professor of Botany -SUr________________ .an L. BakerF^Associate Professor of Botany Leland S. /dah.nke, Assistant Professor of Botany / PyvUk? Thomas D. Lee, Assistant Professor of Botany Donald P. Cheney, Assistant Professqrrofessdr of Biology, Northeastern Universityity ( 1982 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Arthur C. Mathieson for the guidance and encouragement he has provided during my graduate studies. His knowledge and enthusiasm have continually stimulated my interest in marine phycology. I am also indebted to the other members of my graduate committee: Dr. Alan L. Baker, Dr. Leland S. Jahnke, Dr. Thomas D. Lee, and Dr. Donald P. Cheney for their many helpful suggestions, and for their careful review of this d issertation. I am grateful to Guy C. McLeod, Research Director of the New England Aquarium in Boston, for initially inspiring my interest in algal light requirements, and for generously loaning equipment for my research. I would also like to thank Albert Barker of the New England Aquarium and Clayton A. Penniman of the Jackson Estuarine Lab at U.N.H. for their continued friendship, help, and advice. This study would have been nearly impossible without the help of the students who participated in the research expeditions to Utila, Honduras and Little Cayman Island, B.W.I. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Charles Woodhouse, Anne Orcutt, Fred Peck, and Dr. Randall Gaynor. Many hours were spent underwater setting up experiments and in the field lab completing analyses. I am especially indebted to Andrew J. Martinez, my co-leader on the Utila Expeditions, for providing indispensible logistical assistance. Financial and logistical support for the Utila and Little Cayman Island Expeditions were provided by the Expedition Training Institute (recently reborn as the School for Field Studies) of Boston. I would like to thank Mr. James Elder, Director of the School for Field Studies, for his trust and support. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Explorer's Club of New York. I would also like to acknowledge the U.N.H. Graduate School for funding the substantial amount of computer time required for this work. Finally, my greatest appreciation is expressed to my wife, Katrina. Her encouragement, her love, and her belief in my abilities have provided me with the energy and enthusiasm to pursue this research. In addition, Katrina has been my most dedicated and capable field assistant, and has devoted many long hours assuring the success of this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES..................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES.................................................... viii ABSTRACT............................ xi PART 1. Pigment Content and i_n vivo thallus absorption. 1.1 INTRODUCTION.......... 2 1.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS........................................ 5 SITE DESCRIPTION............................................ 5 SAMPLE COLLECTION........................................... 6 PIGMENT ANALYSIS............................................ 6 SHADING EXPERIMENTS........................................ 7 THALLUS ABSORPTION MEASUREMENTS......................... 8 QUANTUM IRRADIANCE MEASUREMENTS......................... 9 1.3 RESULTS.......................................................... 11 PIGMENT CONTENT......................... 12 SHADING EXPERIMENTS........................................ 13 THALLUS ABSORPTION......................................... 14 PREDICTED QUANTUM ABSORPTION............................ 14 1.4 DISCUSSION..................................................... 17 1.5 LITERATURE CITED............................................. 43 v PART 2. Effect on i_n situ Photosynthesis-Irradiance Measurements. 2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................... 46 2.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS....................................... 50 SITE DESCRIPTION............................................ 50 PHOTOSYNTHESIS MEASUREMENTS.............................. 51 BOTTLE EFFECT DETERMINATIONS............................. 53 QUANTUM IRRADIANCE MEASUREMENTS......................... 54 DATA ANALYSIS................................................ 56 2.3 RESULTS......................................................... 59 BOTTLE EFFECTS............................................... 59 QUANTUM IRRADIANCE......................................... 60 PHOTOSYNTHESIS-IRRADIANCE CURVES....................... 61 2.4 DISCUSSION..................................................... 67 2.5 LITERATURE CITED............................................. 102 APPENDIX............................................................. 106 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1-1: Mean pigment content per gram fresh weight Lobophora variegata at depths ranging from 9 to 49m............................................................. 24 TABLE l-II: Mean pigment content per unit thallus area, and thallus weight to area ratios of Lobophora varieqata at depths ranging from 9 to 49m............................................................. 25 TABLE l-III: Mean total quantum irradiance at midday and predicted quanta absorbed and transmitted at 9 and 44m by Lobophora variegata thalli from each depth........................................................... 26 TABLE 2-1: Effects of oxygen tension, nutrient addition, and incubation period on the measured photosynthetic rate (Papp) of Lobophora var iegata..................................................... 75 TABLE 2-II: Values of photosynthesis-irradiance relationship parameters Pmax, alpha, and R determined on a thallus area basis for Lobophora var iegata from a series of depths...................... 76 TABLE 2-III: Values of photosynthesis-irradiance relationship parameters Pmax, alpha, and R determined on a thallus ash-free dry weight basis for Lobophora varieqata from a series of depths...