Effects of surface geometry on light exposure, photoacclimation and photosynthetic energy acquisition in zooxanthellate corals.

ABSTRACT: Symbiotic corals display a great array of morphologies, each of which has unique effects on light interception and the photosynthetic performance of in hospite zooxanthellae. Changes in light availability elicit photoacclimation responses to optimize the energy balances in primary producers, extensively documented for corals exposed to contrasting light regimes along depth gradients. Yet, response variation driven by coral colony geometry and its energetic implications on colonies with contrasting morphologies remain largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of the inclination angle of coral surface on light availability, short- and long-term photoacclimation responses, and potential photosynthetic usable energy. Increasing surface inclination angle resulted in an order of mag

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Londono T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10763928 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature