The Photosynthetic Capacity of the Phytoplankton in the Waters of a Coral Reef
- 1 January 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Published by CSIRO Publishing in Functional Plant Biology
- Vol. 3 (1) , 53-56
- https://doi.org/10.1071/pp9760053
Abstract
Phytoplankton are relatively scarce in surface waters in a region of the Great Barrier Reef near Lizard Island. The phytoplankton sampled have a high rate of photosynthetic efficiency (1.2 millimoles CO2 fixed per milligram chlorophyll a per hour), although between 30 and 50% of the total carbon fixed may be excreted in soluble form. The rate of photosynthetic CO2 fixation into the particulate fraction is sensitive to varying levels of oxygen, suggesting the existence of a photorespiratory mechanism, a factor which might significantly influence the photosynthetic productivity of the algae in these tropical waters.Keywords
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