Anisotropic fluorescence emission by diatoms modifies the underwater oceanic light field.

ABSTRACT: Fluorescence in phytoplankton and other autotrophic organisms originates within the cell chloroplasts, where a fraction of the absorbed solar radiation is reemitted at longer wavelengths by photopigments. While traditionally employed as an indicator of physiological status, emerging evidence suggests that natural chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) may also play unanticipated functional roles in the marine environment. Here, we examine the ChlF emission fields generated by pennate planktonic diatoms, a key phytoplankton group playing a critical role in global biogeochemical cycles. Using cell micromanipulation experiments, we demonstrate that the ChlF emitted by Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta (Bacillariophyceae) is markedly anisotropic, a feature attributed to both the cells' elongated mo

SUBMITTER: Font-Munoz JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12663954 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature