1. Photosynthate partitioning by phytoplankton in a New Zealand coastal upwelling system
- Author
-
L. R. Priscu and J. C. Priscu
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,Ecology ,biology ,Seston ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Photosynthesis ,Polysaccharide ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Animal science ,Algae ,chemistry ,Chlorophyll ,Botany ,Phytoplankton ,Upwelling ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Photosynthate partitioning - Abstract
The patterns of 14C incorporation into the major endproducts of photosynthesis were measured in the surface waters of a New Zealand coastal upwelling system between 8 March and 5 April, 1983. Overall, the majority of 14C was incorporated into protein (x=43.4%) followed by that into polysaccharide (x=33.3%), lipid (x=18.9%) and low molecular weight (LMW) metabolites (x=4.5%). High relative accumulation of 14C into protein occurred at the expense of 14C flow into storage products (primarily polysaccharide) and, to a lesser degree, LMW metabolites. The lowest proportion of 14C incorporated into protein was generally observed in the productive waters associated with the upwelling center. The proportion of 14C incorporation into protein was positively correlated with seston particulate-N: particulate-P (PN:PP), particulate-N:chlorophyll (PN:chl) and particulate-P:chlorophyll (PP:chl) ratios, but was negatively correlated with assimilation number. Time-course experiments under constant environmental conditions revealed that the photosynthate fractions attained constant proportions in
- Published
- 1984