Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study
Each phytoplankton species has intrinsic pigments, which result in different photophysiological characteristics in response to natural light conditions. Therefore, phytoplankton pigments provide important information on the photosynthetic activity that produces the basic food source for marine ecosy...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/10/1859 |
| _version_ | 1797573419758256128 |
|---|---|
| author | Jae-Joong Kang Jun-Oh Min Huitae Joo Seok-Hyun Youn Sang-Heon Lee |
| author_facet | Jae-Joong Kang Jun-Oh Min Huitae Joo Seok-Hyun Youn Sang-Heon Lee |
| author_sort | Jae-Joong Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Each phytoplankton species has intrinsic pigments, which result in different photophysiological characteristics in response to natural light conditions. Therefore, phytoplankton pigments provide important information on the photosynthetic activity that produces the basic food source for marine ecosystems. This study addresses the challenge of accurately measuring pigment production rates in phytoplankton communities. Two strategies are proposed for improving measurement sensitivity. Firstly, increasing the injection of <sup>13</sup>C substrate into incubation bottles up to 15% of the total dissolved inorganic carbon is recommended, with minimal impact on pigment production rate determinations. Secondly, optimizing sample injection volume for high-performance liquid chromatography balances analysis time and dilution effects. The in situ field experiments conducted in this study for pigment production measurements revealed diminished activity of photoprotective mechanisms involving zeaxanthin and diatoxanthin during the study period. Furthermore, the results showed that the notable production rates of chl-<i>b</i> (0.069–0.105 ng C L<sup>–1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, 74–89% of total accessary pigment production rates), an accessory pigment mainly attributed to prasinophytes, potentially due to restricted light availability. Prioritization of chl-<i>b</i> production over primary production (negative correlation between primary and chl-<i>b</i> production; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.6662) highlights the potential impact of compensatory pigment-related activities on overall phytoplankton productivity. In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of directly quantifying pigment production rates to enhance our comprehension of phytoplankton photophysiology and the production mechanisms specific to various pigments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:09:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e69b87ff77634267ba655264a21e55eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:09:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-e69b87ff77634267ba655264a21e55eb2023-11-19T16:57:42ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122023-09-011110185910.3390/jmse11101859Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case StudyJae-Joong Kang0Jun-Oh Min1Huitae Joo2Seok-Hyun Youn3Sang-Heon Lee4National Institute of Fisheries and Sciences, Busan 46083, Republic of KoreaDivision of Polar Ocean Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Republic of KoreaNational Institute of Fisheries and Sciences, Busan 46083, Republic of KoreaNational Institute of Fisheries and Sciences, Busan 46083, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Oceanography, Marine Science Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of KoreaEach phytoplankton species has intrinsic pigments, which result in different photophysiological characteristics in response to natural light conditions. Therefore, phytoplankton pigments provide important information on the photosynthetic activity that produces the basic food source for marine ecosystems. This study addresses the challenge of accurately measuring pigment production rates in phytoplankton communities. Two strategies are proposed for improving measurement sensitivity. Firstly, increasing the injection of <sup>13</sup>C substrate into incubation bottles up to 15% of the total dissolved inorganic carbon is recommended, with minimal impact on pigment production rate determinations. Secondly, optimizing sample injection volume for high-performance liquid chromatography balances analysis time and dilution effects. The in situ field experiments conducted in this study for pigment production measurements revealed diminished activity of photoprotective mechanisms involving zeaxanthin and diatoxanthin during the study period. Furthermore, the results showed that the notable production rates of chl-<i>b</i> (0.069–0.105 ng C L<sup>–1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, 74–89% of total accessary pigment production rates), an accessory pigment mainly attributed to prasinophytes, potentially due to restricted light availability. Prioritization of chl-<i>b</i> production over primary production (negative correlation between primary and chl-<i>b</i> production; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.6662) highlights the potential impact of compensatory pigment-related activities on overall phytoplankton productivity. In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of directly quantifying pigment production rates to enhance our comprehension of phytoplankton photophysiology and the production mechanisms specific to various pigments.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/10/1859pigment productionphytoplanktonHPLCcarbon stable isotope (<sup>13</sup>C) |
| spellingShingle | Jae-Joong Kang Jun-Oh Min Huitae Joo Seok-Hyun Youn Sang-Heon Lee Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study Journal of Marine Science and Engineering pigment production phytoplankton HPLC carbon stable isotope (<sup>13</sup>C) |
| title | Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study |
| title_full | Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study |
| title_short | Photophysiological Characterization of Phytoplankton by Measuring Pigment Production Rates: A Description of Detail Method and a Case Study |
| title_sort | photophysiological characterization of phytoplankton by measuring pigment production rates a description of detail method and a case study |
| topic | pigment production phytoplankton HPLC carbon stable isotope (<sup>13</sup>C) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/10/1859 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jaejoongkang photophysiologicalcharacterizationofphytoplanktonbymeasuringpigmentproductionratesadescriptionofdetailmethodandacasestudy AT junohmin photophysiologicalcharacterizationofphytoplanktonbymeasuringpigmentproductionratesadescriptionofdetailmethodandacasestudy AT huitaejoo photophysiologicalcharacterizationofphytoplanktonbymeasuringpigmentproductionratesadescriptionofdetailmethodandacasestudy AT seokhyunyoun photophysiologicalcharacterizationofphytoplanktonbymeasuringpigmentproductionratesadescriptionofdetailmethodandacasestudy AT sangheonlee photophysiologicalcharacterizationofphytoplanktonbymeasuringpigmentproductionratesadescriptionofdetailmethodandacasestudy |