Specific Growth Rates of Freshwater Algae in Relation to Cell Size and Light Intensity

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Abstract
Four species of freshwater green algae [Coelastrum microporum, Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraedron bitridens and Asterococcus superbus] spanning a size range of 0.83-325.22 pg C/cell were grown in laboratory batch cultures under 4 levels of incident irradiance. There was an inverse relationship between cell size and specific growth rate at the highest light intensity tested. As light intensity was decreased, the relationship weakened. These laboratory results, in addition to some field data from arctic lakes in Canada, support recent model predictions concerning size-dependent algal growth.