Effects of variability in daily light integrals on the photophysiology of the corals Pachyseris speciosa and Acropora millepora.

ABSTRACT: Phototrophic sessile organisms, such as reef corals, adjust their photosynthetic apparatus to optimize the balance of light capture versus protection in response to variable light availability (photoacclimation). In shallow marine environments, daily light integrals (DLI) can vary several-fold in response to water clarity and clouds. This laboratory study investigated the responses of two coral species to fluctuations in DLI. Corals were exposed to four contrasting DLI treatments: 'high-light' (potentially photoinhibiting conditions, 32 mol photons m-2 d-1), 'low-light' (potentially light-limiting conditions, 6 mol photons m-2 d-1), and two 'variable light' treatments that alternated between high and low conditions every 5 days. In the variable treatments, the shade-tolerant coral Pachyser

SUBMITTER: DiPerna S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6150484 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature