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Hydraulic retention time (HRT) in wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds is an important operational parameter that determines both nutrient loading and effluent water quality. Shorter HRT increases the influent nutrient loading, and ultimately, areal microalgal productivity, but decreases effluent quality. Recycling a proportion of the effluent water can decrease the HRT whilst maintaining the same nutrient loading. This study investigated how partially and fully harvested recycled effluent affected microalgal performance, with respect to nutrient removal and biomass production in high rate algal mesocosms operated on shortened (summertime) 4-day HRT compared to longer (wintertime) 8-day HRT. Recycling partially harvested effluent water, still containing some microalgal/bacterial biomass, negatively affected the net biomass production, relatively to all other treatments. This was due to the diminished light climate and photosynthetic potential within the mesocosm, as a result of biomass loading. On the other hand, recycling fully harvested effluent to decrease the HRT by half did allow for higher daily biomass productivity compared to high rate algal mesocosms run on an 8-day HRT. However, it did not result in any increase in wastewater treatment over that in the 8-day full-load HRT treatment but had higher effluent quality than that of the 4-day full-load HRT treatment. Recycling effluent has the potential to increase microalgal biomass production, without degrading effluent quality, to further improve the economics of coupled wastewater treatment and resource recovery, but complete or near-complete harvesting of biomass is required.

Reef-building corals are among the largest producers of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), an essential compound in marine biogeochemical cycles. DMSP can be catabolised in coral mucus by a wide diversity of coral-associated bacteria, where it can either be demethylated, leading to the incorporation of sulfur and carbon into bacterial biomass – or cleaved by lyases, releasing the climatically-active gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS). It has been demonstrated that thermal stress increases DMSP concentrations in many coral species, however the effect of increased DMSP availability on coral-associated bacteria has not been explored. Here we performed thermal stress experiments to examine how changes in DMSP availability impact bacterial degradation pathways in the mucus of Acropora millepora. DMSP concentrations increased with temperature, reaching a maximum of 177.3 μM after 10 days of heat stress, which represents the highest concentration of DMSP recorded in any environment to date. Bacterial communities in coral mucus were significantly different from the surrounding seawater, yet they did not vary significantly between temperature or time. However, during thermal stress, when DMSP concentrations increased, a significant increase in the abundance of both the demethylation gene dmdA and the cleavage gene dddP were recorded. Importantly, our results show that for the highest DMSP concentrations recorded (above 30 μM), the cleavage pathway became more abundant than the demethylation pathway. This suggests that under high DMSP concentrations characteristic of heat stress, a larger fraction of the DMSP pool in the coral mucus is likely catabolised through the DMS-producing cleavage pathway.

Seagrass wasting disease (SWD), an infection believed to be caused by Labyrinthula zosterae, has been linked to seagrass declines in several places around the world. However, there is uncertainty about the mechanisms of disease and the potential involvement of opportunistic colonising microorganisms. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we compared the microbiome of SWD lesions in leaves of Zostera muelleri with communities in adjacent asymptomatic tissues and healthy leaves. The microbiome of healthy leaf tissues was dominated by Pseudomonas and Burkholderia, whereas the most predominant taxa within adjacent tissues were Pseudomonas and Rubidimonas. Members of the Saprospiraceae, potential macroalgal pathogens, were over-represented within SWD lesions. These pronounced changes in microbiome structure were also apparent when we examined the core microbiome of different tissue types. Although the core microbiome associated with healthy leaves included three operational taxonomic units (OTUs) classified as Burkholderia, Cryomorphaceae and the SAR11 clade, a single core OTU from the Arenicella was found within adjacent tissues. Burkholderia are diazotrophic microorganisms and may play an important role in seagrass nitrogen acquisition. In contrast, some members of the Arenicella have been implicated in necrotic disease in other benthic animals. Moreover, microbiome structure was maintained across sites within healthy tissues, but not within SWD lesions or the tissues immediately adjacent to lesions. Predicted functional profiles revealed increased photoautotrophic functions in SWD tissues relative to healthy leaves, but no increase in pathogenicity or virulence. Notably, we demonstrated the presence of L. zosterae in SWD lesions by polymerase chain reaction, but only in one of the two sampled locations, which indicates that other microbiological factors may be involved in the initiation or development of SWD-like symptoms. This study suggests that the dynamics of the seagrass microbiome should be considered within the diagnosis and management of SWD.

Filamentous algae treatment systems can provide cost-effective treatment of a range of wastewater types. In the current study, filamentous algae nutrient scrubbers (FANS), treating anaerobically digested food-waste centrate, were used to investigate the role of flow-way water depth (5, 10 and 15 mm) on productivity and nutrient removal. The study found that the proportion of light reaching the surface of the filamentous algae mat (Emat) increased with decreasing water depth, with 5-mm depth significantly higher than 10 mm (p

Microalgae are increasingly recognised as valuable feedstock for novel product production and biotechnological applications, but high costs associated with both the culturing and harvesting of microalgae remain one of the major bottlenecks. Mixotrophy and heterotrophy are increasingly being recognised as potentially cost-effective growth strategies for mass culture, but the response of microalgae to alternative growth strategies is not universal amongst species. This study assessed the response of four species from related genera (Acutodesmus acutiformis, Desmodesmus communis, Scenedesmus obtusus, and Tetradesmus dimorphus) to the different growth conditions, autotrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic with inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic with organic nutrients. While all four related genera were capable of growing mixotrophically and heterotrophically, the response was not universal across all four species. Biomass production was highest under heterotrophy for three out of the four species, while production was inhibited in T. dimorphus, relative to autotrophy. The percentage lipids and proteins varied amongst all four species under the four different growth strategies. Percentage lipids were highest under autotrophy and mixotrophy for both A. acutiformis and D. communis, while percentage lipids were lowest in S. obtusus under autotrophic conditions. For T. dimorphus percentage, lipids did not vary across treatments. The reverse occurred for percentage proteins, being highest for both A. acutiformis and D. communis under heterotrophy and highest for S. obtusus under autotrophic conditions. Percentage protein did not vary across treatments for T. dimorphus. Coenobium size and total numbers varied amongst treatments for all four species, with no consistent between the species. Microalgal performance under either heterotrophic or mixotrophic growth was species dependent. For commercial applications, these results demonstrate the importance of assessing the response of a given species to alternative growth strategies and if any resultant enhanced biomass, or product, yield is cost-effective compared to autotrophy.

Marine debris has become a global problem affecting coral health around the globe. However, the photophysiological responses of corals to marine debris stress remain unclear. Therefore, this study firstly investigated transparent and opaque plastic bag shading and fishing nets directly contacting the coral. Photosynthetic performance, pigment content, symbiont density, and calcification rate of a branching coral Pocillopora acuta and a massive coral Porites lutea were investigated after 4 weeks of exposure to marine debris. The results show that the maximum quantum yield of PSII significantly decreased in P. lutea with all treatments, while P. acuta showed no effect on the maximum quantum yield of PSII from any treatments. Transparent plastic bag shading does not affect P. acuta, but significantly affected the maximum photochemical efficiency of P. lutea. Photoacclimation of cellular pigment content was also observed under opaque plastic bag shading for both species at week 2. Fishing nets had the strongest effect and resulted in P. acuta bleaching and P. lutea partial mortality as well as a decline in zooxanthellae density. Calcification rate of P. acuta significantly decreased with treatments using opaque plastic bag and fishing net, but for P. lutea only the treatment with fishing net gave any observable effects. This study suggests that the sensitivities of corals to marine debris differ strongly by species and morphology of the coral.

Wild marine microalgal consortia may overcome a number of challenges of growing domesticated strains in outdoor open pond systems, such as poor tolerance of fluctuating environment and pond crashes. We investigated the performance of wild marine microalgal communities grown under four ammoniacal nitrogen loads: (i) 6.25 g m−3 (0.5 ×), (ii) 12.5 g m−3 (1 ×), (iii) 25 g m−3 (2 ×) and (iv) 50 g m−3 (4 ×), with respect to biomass yield, macromolecular composition and community membership. Volatile suspended solids (organic matter) increased with increasing ammonia load, with 4 × (210 ± 15 g m−3) significantly higher (p

Photosynthesis in the seagrass Zostera muelleri remains poorly understood. We investigated the effect of reduced irradiance on the incorporation of 13C, gene expression of photosynthetic, photorespiratory and intermediates recycling genes as well as the enzymatic content and activity of Rubisco and PEPC within Z. muelleri. Following 48 h of reduced irradiance, we found that i) there was a ∼7 fold reduction in 13C incorporation in above ground tissue, ii) a significant down regulation of photosynthetic, photorespiratory and intermediates recycling genes and iii) no significant difference in enzyme activity and content. We propose that Z. muelleri is able to alter its physiology in order to reduce the amount of C lost through photorespiration to compensate for the reduced carbon assimilation as a result of reduced irradiance. In addition, the first estimated rate constant (Kcat) and maximum rates of carboxylation (Vcmax) of Rubisco is reported for the first time for Z. muelleri.

High-latitude coral communities are distinct from their tropical counterparts, and how they respond to recent heat wave events that have decimated tropical reefs remains unknown. In Australia, the 2016 El Nino resulted in the largest global mass coral bleaching event to date, reaching as far south as Sydney Harbour (~ 34°S). Coral bleaching was observed for the first time (affecting ca., 60% of all corals) as sea surface temperatures in Sydney Harbour remained > 2 °C above the long-term mean summer maxima, enabling us to examine whether high-latitude corals bleached in a manner described for tropical corals. Responses of the geographically cosmopolitan Plesiastrea versipora and southerly restricted Coscinaraea mcneilli were contrasted across two harbour sites, both in situ and among samples-maintained ex situ in aquaria continually supplied with Sydney Harbour seawater. While both coral taxa hosted the same species of microalgal endosymbiont (Breviolum spp; formerly clade B), only P. versipora bleached both in situ and ex situ via pronounced losses of endosymbiont cells. Both species displayed very different metabolic responses (growth, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification) and bleaching susceptibilities under elevated temperatures. Bacterial microbiome profiling, however, revealed a convergence of bacterial community composition across coral species throughout the bleaching. Corals species found in temperate regions, including the generalist P. versipora, will therefore likely be highly susceptible to future change as heat waves grow in frequency and severity unless their thermal thresholds increase. Our observations provide further evidence that high-latitude systems are susceptible to community reorganisation under climate change.

Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) generates high-resolution measures of phytoplankton primary productivity as electron transport rates (ETRs). How ETRs scale to corresponding inorganic carbon (C) uptake rates (the so-called electron requirement for carbon fixation, e,C), inherently describes the extent and effectiveness with which absorbed light energy drives C-fixation. However, it remains unclear whether and how e,C follows predictable patterns for oceanographic datasets spanning physically dynamic, and complex, environmental gradients. We utilise a unique high-throughput approach, coupling ETRs and 14C-incubations to produce a semi-continuous dataset of e,C (n = 80), predominantly from surface waters, along the Australian coast (Brisbane to the Tasman Sea), including the East Australian Current (EAC). Environmental conditions along this transect could be generally grouped into cooler, more nutrient-rich waters dominated by larger size-fractionated Chl-a (>10 um) versus warmer nutrient-poorer waters dominated by smaller size-fractionated Chl-a (< 2 um). Whilst e,C was higher for warmer water samples, environmental conditions alone explained less than 20% variance of e,C, and changes in predominant size-fraction(s) distributions of Chl-a (biomass) failed to explain variance of e,C. Instead, NPQNSV was a better predictor of e,C, explaining 55% of observed variability. NPQNSV is a physiological descriptor that accounts for changes in both long-term driven acclimation in non-radiative decay, and quasi-instantaneous PSII downregulation, and thus may prove a useful predictor of e,C across physically-dynamic regimes, provided the slope describing their relationship is predictable., 57 pages, 14 figures, accepted version

The aquaculture industry uses microalgae as a live feed for juvenile oysters in hatcheries to meet their nutritional requirements, including their need for several essential Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The mass culture of microalgae is not only a major bottleneck for the production of juvenile oysters, but also a significant cost, accounting for 20–50% of hatchery operating costs. Currently, low biomass concentrations, high production costs and poor cultivation systems limit the quantity and quality of microalgae feed. This study focused on Tisochrysis lutea, a microalgae species commonly used in aquaculture, and we assessed the potential of photobioreactors with an improved light source and CO2 input to increase biomass production and improve biochemical composition of algal feed. Two photobioreactor systems were compared: the current industry set up (DPI) comprising fluorescent lighting and minimal CO2 input versus an optimized system utilising LEDs and increased CO2. Cultures of T. lutea were monitored over a 12-day growth period and harvested on day 14 for biochemical analysis. Final cell density was significantly higher in the optimized system relative to the conventional culture systems (6.2 × 106 cells / mL versus 3.7 × 106 cells / mL, respectively). The biochemical profile of T. lutea was not significantly different between the two photobioreactors systems. The algal biomass produced during this comparative experiment was used in a feeding trial on oyster spat, Saccostrea glomerata. Spat fed with algae produced in optimized vs conventional photobioreactors showed no significant difference in growth, but oyster spat fed with T. lutea grown in optimized photobioreactors did show a significant increase in their EPA content. Overall, our results contribute to our understanding of how altered culture conditions affect microalgal production and biochemical composition, and subsequently of oyster spat. This study further supports the potential of LEDs to reduce operating costs for oyster hatcheries but also to significantly improve microalgae yield with no negative effect on the condition of oyster spats production.

Seagrasses host an extremely diverse microbiome that plays fundamental roles in seagrass health and productivity but may be sensitive to shifts in host physiology. Here, we observed a leaf reddening phenomenon in Zostera muelleri and characterized bacterial assemblages associated with green and reddened leaves to determine whether this change in leaf pigmentation stimulates shifts in the seagrass microbiome. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we observed that the microbiome associated with 4 different leaf pigmentation categories (i.e. green, white, purple and black) differed significantly, with substantial changes in microbiome composition when the tissue is whitened (non-pigmented). Actinobacteria, Rhodobacteraceae, Erythrobacter, Sulfitobacter and Granulosicoccus were enriched in black and/or purple tissues and discriminated these microbiomes from those associated with green leaves. Contrastingly, all ‘discriminatory’ zero-radius operational taxonomic units (zOTUs) were depleted within the communities associated with white samples. While 40% of the abundant zOTUs identified were exclusively associated with a single pigmentation category, only 3% were shared across all categories, indicating partitioning of the phyllosphere microbiome. However, a significant proportion of the ‘normal’ (green) leaf core microbiome was also retained in the core communities associated with black (70%) and purple (70%) tissues. Contrastingly, no core zOTUs were maintained in the white tissues. These results indicate that environmentally driven physiological shifts in seagrasses, such as leaf reddening expressed in response to high irradiance, can impact the seagrass leaf microbiome, resulting in significant shifts in the microbiome of reddened leaves with the most extreme expression (in white tissue of reddened leaves).

© 2018 Phycological Society of America Land-based plants and ocean-dwelling microbial phototrophs known as phytoplankton, are together responsible for almost all global primary production. Habitat warming associated with anthropogenic climate change has detrimentally impacted marine primary production, with the effects observed on regional and global scales. In contrast to slower-growing higher plants, there is considerable potential for phytoplankton to evolve rapidly with changing environmental conditions. The energetic constraints associated with adaptation in phytoplankton are not yet understood, but are central to forecasting how global biogeochemical cycles respond to contemporary ocean change. Here, we demonstrate a number of potential trade-offs associated with high-temperature adaptation in a tropical microbial eukaryote, Amphidinium massartii (dinoflagellate). Most notably, the population became high-temperature specialized (higher fitness within a narrower thermal envelope and higher thermal optimum), and had a greater nutrient requirement for carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Evidently, the energetic constraints associated with living at elevated temperature alter competiveness along other environmental gradients. While high-temperature adaptation led to an irreversible change in biochemical composition (i.e., an increase in fatty acid saturation), the mechanisms underpinning thermal evolution in phytoplankton remain unclear, and will be crucial to understanding whether the trade-offs observed here are species-specific or are representative of the evolutionary constraints in all phytoplankton.

© 2018 Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Nitrogen (N) availability affects phytoplankton photosynthetic performance and regulates marine primary production (MPP) across the global coast and oceans. Bio-optical tools including Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) are particularly well suited to examine MPP variability in coastal regions subjected to dynamic spatio-temporal fluctuations in nutrient availability. FRRf determines photosynthesis as an electron transport rate through Photosystem II (ETRPSII), requiring knowledge of an additional parameter, the electron requirement for carbon fixation (KC), to retrieve rates of CO2-fixation. KC strongly depends upon environmental conditions regulating photosynthesis, yet the importance of N-availability to this parameter has not been examined. Here, we use nutrient bioassays to isolate how N (relative to other macronutrients P, Si) regulates KC of phytoplankton communities from the Australian coast during summer, when N-availability is often highly variable. KC consistently responded to N-amendment, exhibiting up to a threefold reduction and hence an apparent increase in the efficiency with which electrons were used to drive C-fixation. However, the process driving this consistent reduction was dependent upon initial conditions. When diatoms dominated assemblages and N was undetectable (e.g., post bloom), KC decreased predominantly via a physiological adjustment of the existing community to N-amendment. Conversely, for mixed assemblages, N-addition achieved a similar reduction in KC through a change in community structure toward diatom domination. We generate new understanding and parameterization of KC that is particularly critical to advance how FRRf can be applied to examine C-uptake throughout the global ocean where nitrogen availability is highly variable and thus frequently limits primary productivity.

Coastal habitats including saltmarshes and mangrove forests can accumulate and store significant blue carbon stocks, which may persist for millennia. Despite this implied stability, the distribution and structure of intertidal-supratidal wetlands is known to respond to changes imposed by geomorphic evolution, climatic, sea level and anthropogenic influences. In this study, we reconstruct environmental histories and biogeochemical conditions in four wetlands of similar contemporary vegetation in SE Australia. The objective is to assess the importance of historic factors to contemporary organic carbon (C) stocks and accumulation rates. Results from the four cores – two collected from marine influenced saltmarshes (WAP-M and POR-M) and two from fluvial influenced saltmarshes (WAP-F and POR-F) – highlight different environmental histories and preservation conditions. High C stocks are associated with the presence of a mangrove phase below the contemporary saltmarsh sediments in the POR-M and POR-F cores. 13C NMR analyses show this historic mangrove root C to be remarkably stable in its molecular composition despite its age, consistent with its position in deep sediments. WAP-M and WAP-F cores did not contain mangrove root C, however, significant preservation of char C (up to 46% of C in some depths) in WAP-F reveals the importance of historic catchment processes to this site. Together, these results highlight the importance of integrating historic ecosystem and catchment factors into attempts to upscale C accounting to broader spatial scales.

The phytoplankton absorption coefficient (aPHY) has been suggested as a suitable alternate first order predictor of net primary productivity (NPP). We compiled a dataset of surface bio-optical properties and phytoplankton NPP measurements in coastal waters around Australia to examine the utility of an in-situ absorption model to estimate NPP. The magnitude of surface NPP (0.20–19.3 mmol C m−3 d−1) across sites was largely driven by phytoplankton biomass, with higher rates being attributed to the microplankton (>20 μm) size class. The phytoplankton absorption coefficient aPHY for PAR (photosynthetically active radiation; āPHY)) ranged from 0.003 to 0.073 m-1, influenced by changes in phytoplankton community composition, physiology and environmental conditions. The aPHY coefficient also reflected changes in NPP and the absorption model-derived NPP could explain 73% of the variability in measured surface NPP (n = 41; RMSE = 2.49). The absorption model was applied to two contrasting coastal locations to examine NPP dynamics: a high chlorophyll-high variation (HCHV; Port Hacking National Reference Station) and moderate chlorophyll-low variation (MCLV; Yongala National Reference Station) location in eastern Australia using the GIOP-DC satellite aPHY product. Mean daily NPP rates between 2003 and 2015 were higher at the HCHV site (1.71 ± 0.03 mmol C m−3 d−1) with the annual maximum NPP occurring during the austral winter. In contrast, the MCLV site annual NPP peak occurred during the austral wet season and had lower mean daily NPP (1.43 ± 0.03 mmol C m−3 d−1) across the time-series. An absorption-based model to estimate NPP is a promising approach for exploring the spatio-temporal dynamics in phytoplankton NPP around the Australian continental shelf.

Copper (Cu) in an essential trace metal but it can also contaminate coastal waters at high concentrations mainly from agricultural run-off and mining activities which are detrimental to marine organisms including seagrasses. The molecular mechanisms driving Cu toxicity in seagrasses are not clearly understood yet. Here, we investigated the molecular responses of the Australian seagrass, Z. muelleri at the whole transcriptomic level after 7 days of exposure to 250 μg Cu L−1 and 500 μg Cu L−1. The leaf-specific whole transcriptome results showed a concentration-dependent disturbance in chloroplast function, regulatory stress responses and defense mechanisms. This study provided new insights into the responses of seagrasses to trace metal stress and reports possible candidate genes which can be considered as biomarkers to improve conservation and management of seagrass meadows.

Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) has been increasingly used to measure marine primary productivity by oceanographers to understand how carbon (C) uptake patterns vary over space and time in the global ocean. As FRRf measures electron transport rates through photosystem II (ETRPSII ), a critical, but difficult to predict conversion factor termed the "electron requirement for carbon fixation" (Φe,C ) is needed to scale ETRPSII to C-fixation rates. Recent studies have generally focused on understanding environmental regulation of Φe,C , while taxonomic control has been explored by only a handful of laboratory studies encompassing a limited diversity of phytoplankton species. We therefore assessed Φe,C for a wide range of marine phytoplankton (n = 17 strains) spanning multiple taxonomic and size classes. Data mined from previous studies were further considered to determine whether Φe,C variability could be explained by taxonomy versus other phenotypic traits influencing growth and physiological performance (e.g., cell size). We found that Φe,C exhibited considerable variability (~4-10 mol e- · [mol C]-1 ) and was negatively correlated with growth rate (R2 = 0.7, P

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants and as such is vital to many metabolic processes. Nevertheless, when present at elevated concentrations, Cu can exert toxic effects on plants by disrupting protein functions and promoting oxidative stress. Due to their proximity to the urbanised estuaries, seagrasses are vulnerable to chemical contamination via industrial runoff, waste discharges and leachates. Zostera muelleri is a common seagrass species that forms habitats in the intertidal areas along the temperate coast of Australia. Previous studies have shown the detrimental effects of Cu exposure on photosynthetic efficiency of Z. muelleri. The present study focuses on the impacts of sublethal Cu exposure on the physiological and molecular responses. By means of a single addition, plants were exposed to 250 and 500 μg Cu L−1 (corresponding to 3.9 and 7.8 μM, respectively) as well as uncontaminated artificial seawater (control) for 7 days. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, measured as the effective quantum yield ( ϕ PSII), the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were assessed daily, while Cu accumulation in leaf tissue, total reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of genes involved in antioxidant activities and trace metal binding were determined after 1, 3 and 7 days of exposure. Z. muelleri accumulated Cu in the leaf tissue in a concentration-dependent manner and the bioaccumulation was saturated by day 3. Cu exposure resulted in an acute suppression of ϕ PSII and Fv/Fm. These two parameters also showed a concentration- and time-dependent decline. NPQ increased sharply during the first few days before subsequently decreasing towards the end of the experiment. Cu accumulation induced oxidative stress in Z. muelleri as an elevated level of ROS was detected on day 7. Lower Cu concentration promoted an up-regulation of genes encoding Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-sod), ascorbate peroxidase (apx), catalase (cat) and glutathione peroxidase (gpx), whereas no significant change was detected with higher Cu concentration. Exposure to Cu at any concentration failed to induce regulation in the expression level of genes encoding metallothionein type 2 (mt2), metallothionein type 3 (mt3) and cytochrome c oxidase copper chaperone (cox17). It is concluded that chlorophyll fluorescence parameters provide timely probe of the status of photosynthetic machinery under Cu stress. In addition, when exposed to a moderate level of Cu, Z. muelleri mitigates any induced oxidative stress by up-regulating transcripts coding for antioxidant enzymes.

Light availability is considered a key factor regulating the thermal sensitivity of reef building corals, where excessive excitation of photosystem II (PSII) further exacerbates pressure on photochemical pathways already compromised by heat stress. Coral symbionts acclimate to changes in light availability (photoacclimation) by continually fine-tuning the photochemical operating efficiency of PSII. However, how this process adjusts throughout the warmest months in naturally heat-tolerant or sensitive species is unknown, and whether this influences the capacity to tolerate transient heat stress is untested. We therefore examined the PSII photophysiology of 10 coral species (with known thermal tolerances) from shallow reef environments at Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia), in spring (October-November, 2015) vs. summer (February-March, 2016). Corals were maintained in flow-through aquaria and rapid light curve (RLC) protocols using pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry captured changes in the PSII photoacclimation strategy, characterized as the minimum saturating irradiance (Ek), and the extent of photochemical ([1 – C], operating efficiency) vs. non-photochemical ([1 – Q]) energy dissipation. Values of Ek across species were >2-fold higher in all coral species in spring, consistent with a climate of higher overall light exposure (i.e., higher PAR from lower cloud cover, rainfall and wind speed) compared with summer. Summer decreases in Ek were combined with a shift toward preferential photochemical quenching in all species. All coral species were subsequently subjected to thermal stress assays. An equivalent temperature-ramping profile of 1°C increase per day and then maintenance at 32°C was applied in each season. Despite the significant seasonal photoacclimation, the species hierarchy of thermal tolerance [maximum quantum yields of PSII (Fv/Fm), monitored at dawn and dusk] did not shift between seasons, except for Pocillopora damicornis (faster declines in summer) and Stylophora pistillata (total mortality in spring). Furthermore, the strategy for dealing with light energy (i.e., preferential photochemical vs. non-photochemical quenching) was unchanged for thermally tolerant species across seasons, whereas thermally sensitive species switched between preferential [1 – Q] and [1 – C] from spring to summer. We discuss how such traits can potentially be used as a diagnostic of thermal tolerance under non-stressed conditions.

Seagrasses inhabit environments where light varies at different timescales, nonetheless are acutely sensitive to reductions in light beyond some conditional bounds. Two tropical deep-water seagrasses, Halophila decipiens and Halophila spinulosa, from the Great Barrier Reef were tested for their response to defined light and temperature regimes to identify their growth requirements and potential thresholds of mortality. Species were exposed to two light intensities, saturating (75 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and limiting (25 μmol photons m−2 s−1) light and two temperature treatments (26 °C and 30 °C) over a four-week period. Wavelength-specific parameters of PSII photochemistry were evaluated for seagrass leaves, as well as shoot density, gas exchange, and pigment content. Both species were sustained under saturating light levels (3.2 mol photons m−2 d−1) while limiting light led to decreased shoot density for H. decipiens and H. spinulosa after two and four weeks, respectively. Wavelength-specific photochemistry was also affected under light-limiting treatments for both species while the functional absorption cross section was highly conserved. Photoacclimation and physiological adjustments by either species was not adequate to compensate for reduced irradiance suggesting these plants reside at the margins of their functional limits. As such, relatively short periods of light attenuating events, like dredging or flood plumes, may be detrimental to deep-water seagrass populations.

Macroalgal communities in Australia and around the world store vast quantities of carbon in their living biomass, but their prevalence of growing on hard substrata means that they have limited capacity to act as long-term carbon sinks. Unlike other coastal blue carbon habitats such as seagrasses, saltmarshes and mangroves, they do not develop their own organic-rich sediments, but may instead act as a rich carbon source and make significant contributions in the form of detritus to sedimentary habitats by acting as a “carbon donor” to “receiver sites” where organic material accumulates. The potential for storage of this donated carbon however, is dependent on the decay rate during transport and the burial efficiency at receiver sites. To better understand the potential contribution of macroalgal communities to coastal blue carbon budgets, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using key words, including carbon sequestration, macroalgal distribution, abundance and productivity to provide an estimation of the total amount of carbon stored in temperate Australian macroalgae. Our most conservative calculations estimate 109.9 Tg C is stored in living macroalgal biomass of temperate Australia, using a coastal area covering 249,697 km2. Estimates derived for tropical and subtropical regions contributed an additional 23.2 Tg C. By extending the search to include global studies we provide a broader context and rationale for the study, contributing to the global aspects of the review. In addition, we discuss the potential role of calcium carbonate-containing macroalgae, consider the dynamic nature of macroalgal populations in the context of climate change, and identify the knowledge gaps that once addressed will enable robust quantification of macroalgae in marine biogeochemical cycling of carbon. We conclude that macroalgal communities have the potential to make ecologically meaningful contributions toward global blue carbon sequestration, as donors, but given that the fate of detached macroalgal biomass remains unclear, further research is needed to quantify this contribution.

© 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Coral cell cultures made from reef-building scleractinian corals have the potential to aid in the pursuit of understanding of the cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis. Various methods have previously been described for the production of cell cultures in vitro with a range of success and longevity. In this study, viable tissue spheroids containing host tissue and symbionts (coral explants) were grown from the tissues of Fungia granulosa. The cultured explants remained viable for over 2 months and showed morphological similarities in tissue structure and internal microenvironment to reef-building scleractinian corals. The photophysiology of the explants (1 week old) closely matched that of the parent coral F. granulosa. This study provides the first empirical basis for supporting the use of coral explants as laboratory models for studying coral symbioses. In particular, it highlights how these small, self-sustaining, skeleton-free models can be useful for a number of molecular, genetic and physiological analyses necessary for investigating host–symbiont interactions at the microscale.

Capturing the variability of primary productivity in highly dynamic coastal ecosystems remains a major challenge to marine scientists. To test the suitability of Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) for rapid assessment of primary productivity in estuarine and coastal locations, we conducted a series of paired analyses estimating 14 C carbon fixation and primary productivity from electron transport rates with a Fast Repetition Rate fluorometer MkII , from waters on the Australian east coast. Samples were collected from two locations with contrasting optical properties and we compared the relative magnitude of photosynthetic traits, such as the maximum rate of photosynthesis ( P max ), light utilisation efficiency (α) and minimum saturating irradiance ( E K ) estimated using both methods. In the case of FRRf, we applied recent algorithm developments that enabled electron transport rates to be determined free from the need for assumed constants, as in most previous studies. Differences in the concentration and relative proportion of optically active substances at the two locations were evident in the contrasting attenuation of PAR (400–700 nm), blue (431 nm), green (531 nm) and red (669 nm) wavelengths. FRRF-derived estimates of photosynthetic parameters were positively correlated with independent estimates of 14 C carbon fixation ( P max : n = 19, R 2 = 0.66; α: n = 21, R 2 = 0.77; E K : n = 19, R 2 = 0.45; all p 14 C estimates was explained by the presence of pico-cyanobacteria and chlorophyll- a biomass, and the proportion of photoprotective pigments, that appeared to be linked to turbidity. We discuss the potential importance of cyanobacteria in influencing the underestimations of FRRf productivity and steps to overcome this potential limitation.

Seagrass meadows increasingly face reduced light availability as a consequence of coastal development, eutrophication, and climate-driven increases in rainfall leading to turbidity plumes. We examined the impact of reduced light on above-ground seagrass biomass and sediment biogeochemistry in tropical shallow- (∼2 m) and deep-water (∼17 m) seagrass meadows (Green Island, Australia). Artificial shading (transmitting ∼10-25% of incident solar irradiance) was applied to the shallow- and deep-water sites for up to two weeks. While above-ground biomass was unchanged, higher diffusive O2 uptake (DOU) rates, lower O2 penetration depths, and higher volume-specific O2 consumption (R) rates were found in seagrass-vegetated sediments as compared to adjacent bare sand (control) areas at the shallow-water sites. In contrast, deep-water sediment characteristics did not differ between bare sand and vegetated sites. At the vegetated shallow-water site, shading resulted in significantly lower hydrogen sulphide (H2S) levels in the sediment. No shading effects were found on sediment biogeochemistry at the deep-water site. Overall, our results show that the sediment biogeochemistry of shallow-water (Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Cymodocea rotundata and C. serrulata) and deep-water (Halophila decipiens) seagrass meadows with different species differ in response to reduced light. The light-driven dynamics of the sediment biogeochemistry at the shallow-water site could suggest the presence of a microbial consortium, which might be stimulated by photosynthetically produced exudates from the seagrass, which becomes limited due to lower seagrass photosynthesis under shaded conditions.

© 2017 Szabó, Larkum, Suggett, Vass, Sass, Osmond, Zavafer, Ralph and Chow. Reef building corals (phylum Cnidaria) harbor endosymbiotic dinoflagellate algae (genus Symbiodinium) that generate photosynthetic products to fuel their host's metabolism. Non-invasive techniques such as chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence analyses of Photosystem II (PSII) have been widely used to estimate the photosynthetic performance of Symbiodinium in hospite. However, since the spatial origin of PSII chlorophyll fluorescence in coral tissues is uncertain, such signals give limited information on depth-integrated photosynthetic performance of the whole tissue. In contrast, detection of absorbance changes in the near infrared (NIR) region integrates signals from deeper tissue layers due to weak absorption and multiple scattering of NIR light. While extensively utilized in higher plants, NIR bio-optical techniques are seldom applied to corals. We have developed a non-intrusive measurement method to examine photochemistry of intact corals, based on redox kinetics of the primary electron donor in Photosystem I (P700) and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics (Fast-Repetition Rate fluorometry, FRRf). Since the redox state of P700 depends on the operation of both PSI and PSII, important information can be obtained on the PSII-PSI intersystem electron transfer kinetics. Under moderate, sub-lethal heat stress treatments (33◦ C for~20 min), the coral Pavona decussata exhibited down-regulation of PSII electron transfer kinetics, indicated by slower rates of electron transport from QA to plastoquinone (PQ) pool, and smaller relative size of oxidized PQ with concomitant decrease of a specifically-defined P700 kinetics area, which represents the active pool of PSII. The maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv /Fm ) and functional absorption cross-section of PSII (σPSII ) remained unchanged. Based on the coordinated response of P700 parameters and PSII-PSI electron transport properties, we propose that simple P700 kinetics parameters as employed here serve as indicators of the integrity of PSII-PSI electron transfer dynamics in corals.

In this study we investigated the effect of light-limitation (∼20 μmol photons m−2 s−1) on the southern hemisphere seagrass, Zostera muelleri. RNA sequencing, chlorophyll fluorometry and HPLC techniques were used to investigate how the leaf-specific transcriptome drives changes in photosynthesis and photo-pigments in Z. muelleri over 6 days. 1593 (7.51%) genes were differentially expressed on day 2 and 1481 (6.98%) genes were differentially expressed on day 6 of the experiment. Differential gene expression correlated with significant decreases in rETRMax, Ik, an increase in Yi (initial photosynthetic quantum yield of photosystem II), and significant changes in pigment composition. Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism was observed along with evidence that abscisic acid may serve a role in the low-light response of this seagrass. This study provides a novel understanding of how Z. muelleri responds to light-limitation in the marine water column and provides potential molecular markers for future conservation monitoring efforts.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the photosynthetic stability of higher plants, corals and algae, and considered a primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with the thermal susceptibility of Symbiodinium spp. Here, we simultaneously subjected a large number of Symbiodinium isolates (n = 16) covering broad phylogenetic diversity (clades A, B, D, F) to heat stress and characterized their photosynthetic response via fast repetition rate fluorometry (FRRf) and parallel measurements of H2O2 emissions. Based on their physiological response, isolates clustered into three novel functional groups: (1) thermally tolerant (unchanged photochemical efficiency (F v/F m), electron turnover (τ QA) or H2O2 emission), or (2) thermally susceptible via decreased F v/F m, unchanged τ QA, but increased H2O2, indicating energetically uncoupled PSII (thylakoid membrane instability), versus (3) thermally responsive via decreased F v/F m, increased τ QA and H2O2, indicative of energetically coupled (but downregulated) PSII. There was no correlation between the algal phylogenetic groups and the distribution of isolates amongst these novel functional groups. Two model Symbiodinium isolates for functional groups (1) and (2) (ITS2 type A1, Symbiodinium microadriaticum, and type D1–5, Symbiodinium spp., respectively) were selected to further examine how their different thermal responses corresponded with the expression levels of two genes coding for different metalloforms of superoxide dismutase (MnSOD and NiSOD) that potentially regulate production of H2O2. S. microadriaticum demonstrated the greatest upregulation of MnSOD gene confirming recent suggestions of a role for this metalloform in the antioxidant network associated with thermal stress protection. Assigning Symbiodinium isolates into such functional groups based on coupled molecular-physiological assessment is an important step needed to improve our understanding of Symbiodinium diversity relative to its ecological success in nature.

We present a new experimental set-up enabling fine-scale examination of how changing environmental conditions affect the below-ground biogeochemical microenvironment of aquatic macrophytes. By means of microsensor and planar optode technology, the influence of plant-mediated radial O2 release on the below-ground chemical microenvironment of Zostera muelleri and Halophila ovalis was determined in high spatio-temporal resolution. The seagrass specimens were cultured in a new split flow chamber with artificial sediment made of a deoxygenated seawater–agar solution with added sulphide. Microelectrode measurements revealed radial O2 release from the root–shoot junction of both Z. muelleri and H. ovalis during both light stimulation and darkness, resulting in a rapid decrease in H2S concentration, and a significant drop in pH was observed within the plant-derived oxic microzone of Z. muelleri. No radial O2 release was detectable from the below-ground tissue of Z. muelleri during conditions of combined water-column hypoxia and darkness, leaving the plants more susceptible to sulphide invasion. The spatial O2 heterogeneity within the immediate rhizosphere of Z. muelleri was furthermore determined in two dimensions by means of planar optodes. O2 images revealed a decrease in the spatial extent of the plant-derived oxic microzone surrounding the below-ground tissue during darkness, supporting the microelectrode measurements. This new experimental approach can be applied to all rooted aquatic plants, as it allows for direct visual assessment of the below-ground tissue surface during microprofiling, while enabling modification of the above-ground environmental conditions.

The impact of elevated CO2 and temperature on photosynthesis and calcification in the symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifer Marginopora vertebralis was studied. Individual specimens of M. vertebralis were collected from Heron Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef (Australia). They were maintained for 5 weeks at different temperatures (28, 32 °C) and pCO2 (400, 1,000 µatm) levels spanning a range of current and future climate-change scenarios. The photosynthetic capacity of M. vertebralis was measured with O2 microsensors and a pulse-amplitude-modulated chlorophyll (Chl) fluorometer, in combination with estimates of Chl a and Chl c 2 concentrations and calcification rates. After 5 weeks, control specimens remained unaltered for all parameters. Chlorophyll a concentrations significantly decreased in the specimens at 1,000 µatm CO2 for both temperatures, while no change in Chl c 2 concentration was observed. Photoinhibition was observed under elevated CO2 and temperature, with a 70–80 % decrease in the maximum quantum yield of PSII. There was no net O2 production at elevated temperatures in both CO2 treatments as compared to the control temperature, supporting that temperature has more impact on photosynthesis and O2 flux than changes in ambient CO2. Photosynthetic pigment loss and a decrease in photochemical efficiency are thus likely to occur with increased temperature. The elevated CO2 and high temperature treatment also lead to a reduction in calcification rate (from +0.1 to >−0.1 % day−1). Thus, both calcification and photosynthesis of the major sediment-producing foraminifer M. vertebralis appears highly vulnerable to elevated temperature and ocean acidification scenarios predicted in climate-change models.

In response to their environment, algae in the wild may use an approximation to optimality of resource allocation in cellular structures, photosynthetic pigments, enzymes, transporters in membranes and RNAs and in their genetic material. However, under controlled conditions, when algae are grown for biofuel (lipid) production for example, some of these processes can be altered to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis and therefore, lipid yield. This suggests that there is scope for selecting mutations and for genetic engineering at various levels in the photosynthetic apparatus with the aim of increasing efficiency of photon use and the rate of transformation of resources per unit biomass to improve biofuel yields. More specifically, the wavelength range covered by photosynthetic pigments and photochemical reaction centres could be increased, the number of protons transported from the thylakoid lumen to the stroma per unit ATP synthesised by the ATP synthetase could be decreased, the fluctuating light effect could be utilised and photosynthetic pathways changed, e.g. replacing part or all of the current machinery for autotrophic fixation of inorganic carbon. There are also possibilities for decreasing carbon loss by decreasing ‘wasteful’ aspects of dark respiration and of dissolved organic carbon loss. Provided that the environmental fluctuations to which algal growth conditions are constrained, there are possibilities for decreasing the resource costs of protection from ROS, and by down-regulating photoprotective mechanisms, as well as limiting the capacity to repair processes related to photoinhibition. Decreased protein turnover is also a potential energetic saving. These interventions apply to individual processes; however, this may not be immediately incorporated into the optimal allocation of resources by the alga, and further intervention using a system biology approach may be required.

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014. Chlorophyll a fluorescence was used to look at the effect of desiccation on the photophysiology in two beachrock microbial biofilms from the intertidal rock platform of Heron Island, Australia. The photophysiological response to desiccation differed between the beachrock microbial communities. The black biofilm from the upper shoreline, dominated by Calothrix sp., showed a response typical of desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteria, where photosynthesis closed down during air exposure with a rapid and complete recovery upon rehydration. In contrast, the pink biofilm from the mid-intertidal zone, dominated by Blennothrix sp., showed no distinct response to desiccation stress and instead maintained reduced photosynthesis throughout drying and re-wetting cycles. Spatial differences in photosynthetic activity within the black biofilm were evident with a faster recovery rate of photosynthesis in the surface cyanobacteria than in the deeper layers of the biofilm. There was no variation with depth in the pink biofilm. The photophysiological differences in desiccation responses between the beachrock biofilms exemplify the ecological niche specialisation of these complex microbial communities, where the functional differences help to explain their vertical distribution on the intertidal shoreline.

We used a novel diver-operated microsensor system to collect in situ spectrally resolved light fields on corals with a micrometer spatial resolution. The light microenvironment differed between polyp and coenosarc tissues with scalar irradiance (400-700 nm) over polyp tissue, attenuating between 5.1- and 7.8-fold from top to base of small hemispherical coral colonies, whereas attenuation was at most 1.5-fold for coenosarc tissue. Fluctuations in ambient solar irradiance induced changes in light and oxygen microenvironments, which were more pronounced and faster in coenosarc compared with polyp tissue. Backscattered light from the surrounding benthos contributed > 20% of total scalar irradiance at the coral tissue surface and enhanced symbiont photosynthesis and the local O2 concentration, indicating an important role of benthos optics for coral ecophysiology. Light fields on corals are species and tissue specific and exhibit pronounced variation on scales from micrometers to decimeters. Consequently, the distribution, genetic diversity, and physiology of coral symbionts must be coupled with the measurements of their actual light microenvironment to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of coral ecophysiology. © 2014, by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

© 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. Coral bleaching is intensifying with global climate change. Although the causes for these catastrophic events are well understood, the cellular mechanism that triggers bleaching is not well established. Our understanding of coral bleaching processes is hindered by the lack of robust methods for studying interactions between host and symbiont at the single-cell level. Here, we exposed coral explants to acute thermal stress and measured oxidative stress, more specifically, reactive oxygen species (ROS), in individual symbiont cells. Furthermore, we measured concentrations of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) to elucidate the role of these compounds in coral antioxidant function. This work demonstrates the application of coral explants for investigating coral physiology and biochemistry under thermal stress and delivers a new approach to study host- symbiont interactions at the microscale, allowing us to directly link intracellular ROS with DMSP and DMSO dynamics.

This study examined the capacity for photoprotection and repair of photo-inactivated photosystem II in the same Symbiodinium clade associated with two coexisting coral species during high-light stress in order to test for the modulation of the symbiont’s photobiological response by the coral host. After 4 days exposure to in situ irradiance, symbionts of the bleaching-sensitive Pocillopora damicornis showed rapid synthesis of photoprotective pigments (by 44 %) and strongly enhanced rates of xanthophyll cycling (by 446 %) while being insufficient to prevent photoinhibition (sustained loss in Fv/Fm at night) and loss of symbionts after 4 days. By contrast, Pavona decussata showed no significant changes in Fv/Fm, symbiont density or xanthophyll cycling. Given the association with the same Symbiodinium clade in both coral species, our findings suggest that symbionts in the two species examined may experience different in hospite light conditions as a result of different biometric properties of the coral host.

Reflectance spectroscopy and microscale temperature measurements were used to investigate links between optical and thermal properties of corals. Coral tissue heating showed a species-specific linear correlation to the absorptance of incident irradiance. Heat budgets estimated from absorptance and thermal boundary layer measurements indicated differences in the relative contribution of convection and conduction to heat loss in Porites lobata and Stylophora pistillata, and a higher heat conduction into the skeleton of the thin-tissued branching S. pistillata as compared to the massive thick-tissued P. lobata. Decreasing absorptance associated with bleaching resulted in decreased surface warming of coral tissue. Action spectra of coral tissue heating showed elevated efficiency of heating at wavelengths corresponding to absorption maxima of major zooxanthellae photopigments. Generally, energy-rich radiation (, 500 nm) showed the highest heating efficiency. Speciesspecific relationships between coral tissue heating and absorptance can be strongly affected by differences in the thermal properties of the skeleton and/or tissue arrangement within the skeletal matrix, indicating a yet unresolved potential for coral shape, size, and tissue thickness to affect heat dissipation and especially the conduction of heat into the coral skeleton. Symbiont-bearing (hermatypic) reef-building corals are efficient light collectors, capable of intercepting a large

The in hospite Symbiodinium symbiont of corals on shallow reefs relies on photoprotection and photorepair during periods of exposure to short-term high light and/or temperature stress. A coral’s susceptibility to bleaching is species specific and determined not only by Symbiodinium type, size and physiology, but also by coral host features. Here, photoprotective, photorepair, photochemical and non-photochemical efficiency parameters of Symbiodinium harboured in two morphologically different coral species were examined on Heron Island (23.4420°S, 151.9140°E) in July 2011. The two coral species were exposed to high light stress for 96 h, with or without inhibition of photosystem (PS) II repair by lincomycin. Symbiodinium harboured in Pocillopora damicornis showed an increase in xanthophyll de-epoxidation under high light exposure, whereas algal symbionts in Pavona decussata showed constant levels of xanthophyll de-epoxidation. High light-treated specimens of P. damicornis maintained steady PsbA protein (D1 protein) content throughout the experiment, but P. decussata showed a peak in PsbA protein content after 48 h of exposure. In hospite Symbiodinium in P. damicornis had greater content of PsbA protein fragments, suggesting higher accumulation of photodamaged products, compared to Symbiodinium in P. decussata, where both maintained steady PSII photochemical capacity over 96 h of exposure. Under inhibition of PSII repair, both species lost PsbA protein content and PSII photochemical capacity. Both species showed increased heat dissipation under inhibition of PSII repair, but differed in photoprotective strategies and photorepair activity. Our results suggest that, as well as any differences in the symbiont, characteristics of the coral host can alter important physiological responses in Symbiodinium.

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Seagrasses are important marine foundation species, which are presently threatened by coastal development and global change worldwide. The molecular mechanisms that drive seagrass responses to anthropogenic stresses, including elevated levels of nutrients such as ammonium, remains poorly understood. Despite the evidence that seagrasses can assimilate ammonium by using glutamine synthetase (GS)/glutamate synthase (glutamine-oxoglutarate amidotransferase or GOGAT) cycle, the regulation of this fundamental metabolic pathway has never been studied at the gene expression level in seagrasses so far. Here, we combine (i) reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) to measure expression of key genes involved in the GS/GOGAT cycle, and (ii) stable isotope labelling and mass spectrometry to investigate 15N-ammonium assimilation in the widespread Australian species Zostera muelleri subsp. capricorni (Z. muelleri). We demonstrate that exposure to a pulse of ammonium in seawater can induce changes in GS gene expression of Z. muelleri, and further correlate these changes in gene expression with 15N-ammonium uptake rate in above- and below-ground tissue.

Assessments of nutrient-limitation in microalgae using chl a fluorescence have revealed that nitrogen and phosphorus depletion can be detected as a change in chl a fluorescence signal when nutrient-starved algae are resupplied with the limiting nutrient. This photokinetic phenomenon is known as a nutrient-induced fluorescence transient, or NIFT. Cultures of the unicellular marine chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher were grown under phosphate starvation to investigate the photophysiological mechanism behind the NIFT response. A combination of low temperature (77 K) fluorescence, photosynthetic inhibitors, and nonphotochemical quenching analyses were used to determine that the NIFT response is associated with changes in energy distribution between PSI and PSII and light-stress-induced nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Previous studies point to state transitions as the likely mechanism behind the NIFT response; however, our results show that state transitions are not solely responsible for this phenomenon. This study shows that an interaction of at least two physiological processes is involved in the rapid quenching of chl a fluorescence observed in P-starved D. tertiolecta: (1) state transitions to provide the nutrient-deficient cell with metabolic energy for inorganic phosphate (Pi )-uptake and (2) energy-dependent quenching to allow the nutrient-stressed cell to avoid photodamage from excess light energy during nutrient uptake.

Primary production in coastal Antarctica is primarily contributed from three sources: sea ice algae, phytoplankton, and microphytobenthos. Compared to other eastern Antarctic sites, the sea ice microalgal biomass at Casey Station, in spring 2005 was relatively low, 3.84 ± 1.67 to 21.6 ± 13.3 mg chl-a m−2 but productive, 103–163 mg C m−2 day−1. The photosynthetic parameters, Fv/Fm and rETRmax, imply a community well-acclimated to the light climate of the benthic, water column, and sea ice habitats. Phytoplankton biomass was greatest in late spring (11.1 ± 0.920 μg chl-a l−1), which probably reflects input from the overlying sea ice. Lower biomass and depressed Fv/Fm values later in the season were probably due to nutrient limitation. Benthic microalgal biomass was consistently between 200 and 400 mg chl-a m−2 and production increased through into late summer (204 mg C m−2 day−1). After the sea ice broke out, the marine environment supported a small phytoplankton biomass and a large benthic microalgal biomass. Compared with previous studies, Fv/Fm values were relatively low but there was no evidence of photoinhibition. When sea ice was present, primary production of benthic microalgae was either very low or there was a net draw down of oxygen. The benthic microalgal community made a larger contribution to total primary production than the phytoplankton or sea ice algae at water depth less than approximately 5 m.

This study examined the response of a coral holobiont to thermal stress when the bacterial community was treated with antibiotics. Colonies of Pocillopora damicornis were exposed to broad and narrow-spectrum antibiotics targeting coral-associated α and γ-Proteobacteria. Corals were gradually heated from the control temperature of 26 to 31 °C, and measurements were made of host, zooxanthellar and microbial condition. Antibiotics artificially reduced the abundance and activity of bacteria, but had minimal effect on zooxanthellae photosynthetic efficiency or host tissue protein content. Heated corals without antibiotics showed significant declines in F V /F M , typical of thermal stress. However, heated corals treated with antibiotics showed severe tissue loss in addition to a decline in F V /F M . This study demonstrated that a disruption to the microbial consortium diminished the resilience of the holobiont. Corals exposed to antibiotics under control temperature did not bleach, suggesting that temperature may be an important factor influencing the activity, diversity and ecological function of the holobiont bacterial community.

We studied the diel variation of in situ coral temperature, irradiance and photosynthetic performance of hemispherical colonies of Poriteslobata and branching colonies of Poritescylindrica during different bulk water temperature and tidal scenarios on the shallow reef flat of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Our study presents in situ evidence that coral tissue surface temperatures can exceed that of the surrounding water under environmental conditions typically occurring during low tide in shallow reef or lagoon environments. Such heating may be a regular occurrence on shallow reef flats, triggered by the combined effects of high irradiance and low water flow characteristic of low Spring tides. At these times, solar heating of corals coincides with times of maximum water temperature and high irradiance, where the slow flow and consequent thick boundary layers impede heat exchange between corals and the surrounding water. Despite similar light-absorbing properties, the heating effect was more pronounced for the hemispherical P. lobata than for the branching P. cylindrica. This is consistent with previous laboratory experiments showing the evidence of interspecific variation in coral thermal environment and may result from morphologically influenced variation in convective heat transfer and/or thermal properties of the skeleton. Maximum coral surface warming did not coincide with maximum irradiance, but with maximum water temperature, well into the low-tide period with extremely low water flow in the partially drained reef flat, just prior to flushing by the rising tide. The timing of low tide thus influences the thermal exposure and photophysiological performance of corals, and the timing of tidally driven coral surface warming could potentially have different physiological impacts in the morning or in the afternoon.

Elevated temperatures in combination with moderate to high irradiance are known to cause bleaching events in scleractinian corals, characterised by damage to photosystem II (PSII). Photoprotective mechanisms of the symbiont can reduce the excitation pressure impinging upon PSII. In the bleaching sensitive species, Acropora millepora and Pocillopora damicornis, high light alone induced photoprotection through the xanthophyll cycle, increased content of the antioxidant carotenoid, β-carotene, as well as the dissociation of the light-harvesting chlorophyll complexes. The evidence is compatible with either the membrane-bound chlorophyll a-chlorophyll c 2-peridinin-protein (acpPC) complex or the peripheral peridinin-chlorophyll-protein complex, or both, disconnecting from PSII under high light. The acpPC complex potentially showed a state transition response with redistribution towards photosystem I to reduce PSII over-excitation. This apparent acpPC dissociation/reassociation was promoted by the addition of the xanthophyll cycle inhibitor, dithiothreitol, under high irradiance. Exposure to thermal stress as well as high light promoted xanthophyll de-epoxidation and increased β-carotene content, although it did not influence light-harvesting chlorophyll complex (LHC) dissociation, indicating light, rather than temperature, controls LHC dissociation. Photoinhibition was avoided in the bleaching tolerant species, Pavona decussata, suggesting xanthophyll cycling along with LHC dissociation may have been sufficient to prevent photodamage to PSII. Symbionts of P. decussata also displayed the greatest detachment of antenna complexes, while the more thermally sensitive species, Pocillopora damicornis and A. millepora, showed less LHC dissociation, suggesting antenna movement influences bleaching susceptibility.

The photosynthetic efficiency and photoprotective capacity of the sea-ice diatom, Fragilariopsis cylindrus (Grunow) W. Krieg., grown in a matrix of nitrogen repletion and depletion at two different temperatures (-1°C and +6°C) was investigated. Temperature showed no significant effect on photosynthetic efficiency or photoprotection in F. cylindrus. Cultures under nitrogen depletion showed enhanced photoprotective capacity with an increase in nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) when compared with nitrogen-replete cultures. This phenomenon was achieved at no apparent cost to the photosynthetic efficiency of PSII (FV /FM ). Nitrogen depletion yielded a partially reduced electron transport chain in which maximum fluorescence (FM ) could only be obtained by adding 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). reoxidation curves showed the presence of QB nonreducing PSII centers under nitrogen depletion. Fast induction curves (FICs) and electron transport rates (ETRs) revealed slowing of the electrons transferred from the primary (QA ) to the secondary (QB ) quinone electron acceptors of PSII. The data presented show that nitrogen depletion in F. cylindrus leads to the formation of QB nonreducing PSII centers within the photosystem. On a physiological level, the formation of QB nonreducing PSII centers in F. cylindrus provides the cell with protection against photoinhibition by facilitating the rapid induction of NPQ. This strategy provides an important ecological advantage, especially during the Antarctic spring, maintaining photosynthetic efficiency under high light and nutrient-limiting conditions.

Photosynthesis and net primary productivity were measured in 3 Antarctic diatoms, Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata and Chaetoceros sp., exposed to rapid changes in temperature and salinity representing a range of conditions found during a seasonal cycle. Measured differences in fluorescence-derived photosynthetic activity and oxygen evolution suggested that some alternative electron cycling activity was present under high irradiances. F. cylindrus displayed the highest rates of relative electron transport and net primary productivity under all salinity and temperature combinations and showed adaptive traits towards the sea-icelike environment. P. subcurvata displayed a preference for low saline conditions where production rates were greatest. However, there was evidence of photosynthetic sensitivity to the lowest temperatures and highest salinities, suggesting a lack of adaptation for dealing with sea-ice-like conditions. Chaetoceros sp. showed high plasticity, acclimating well to all conditions but performing best under pelagic conditions. The study shows species-specific sensitivities to environmental change, highlighting photosynthetic capacity as a potentially important mechanism in ecological niche adaptation. When these data were modelled over different seasons, integrated daily net primary production was greatest under summer pelagic conditions. The findings from this study support the general observations of light control and seasonal development of net primary productivity and species succession in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. © Inter-Research 2011.

The Antarctic marine ecosystem changes seasonally, forming a temporal continuum of specialised niche habitats including open ocean, sea ice and meltwater environments. The ability for phytoplankton to acclimate rapidly to the changed conditions of these environments depends on the species' physiology and photosynthetic plasticity and may ultimately determine their long-term ecological niche adaptation. This study investigated the photophysiological plasticity and rapid acclimation response of three Antarctic diatoms-Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata and Chaetoceros sp.-to a selected range of temperatures and salinities representative of the sea ice, meltwater and pelagic habitats in the Antarctic. Fragilariopsis cylindrus displayed physiological traits typical of adaptation to the sea ice environment. Equally, this species showed photosynthetic plasticity, acclimating to the range of environmental conditions, explaining the prevalence of this species in all Antarctic habitats. Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata displayed a preference for the meltwater environment, but unlike F. cylindrus, photoprotective capacity was low and regulated via changes in PSII antenna size. Chaetoceros sp. had high plasticity in non-photochemical quenching, suggesting adaptation to variable light conditions experienced in the wind-mixed pelagic environment. While only capturing short-term responses, this study highlights the diversity in photoprotective capacity that exists amongst three dominant Antarctic diatom species and provides insight into links between ecological niche adaptation and species' distribution. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

All photosynthetic organisms endeavor to balance energy supply with demand. For sea-ice diatoms, as with all marine photoautotrophs, light is the most important factor for determining growth and carbon-fixation rates. Light varies from extremely low to often relatively high irradiances within the sea-ice environment, meaning that sea-ice algae require moderate physiological plasticity that is necessary for rapid light acclimation and photoprotection. This study investigated photoprotective mechanisms employed by bottom Antarctic sea-ice algae in response to relatively high irradiances to understand how they acclimate to the environmental conditions presented during early spring, as the light climate begins to intensify and snow and sea-ice thinning commences. The sea-ice microalgae displayed high photosynthetic plasticity to increased irradiance, with a rapid decline in photochemical efficiency that was completely reversible when placed under low light. Similarly, the photoprotective xanthophyll pigment diatoxanthin (Dt) was immediately activated but reversed during recovery under low light. The xanthophyll inhibitor dithiothreitol (DTT) and state transition inhibitor sodium fluoride (NaF) were used in under-ice in situ incubations and revealed that nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) via xanthophyll-cycle activation was the preferred method for light acclimation and photoprotection by bottom sea-ice algae. This study showed that bottom sea-ice algae from the east Antarctic possess a high level of plasticity in their light-acclimation capabilities and identified the xanthophyll cycle as a critical mechanism in photoprotection and the preferred means by which sea-ice diatoms regulate energy flow to PSII.

We dissect the primary photo-inactivation and the counteracting metabolic repair rates in fragments of the scleractinian coral, Pocillopora damicornis, subjected to a combined stress of a shift to elevated temperature (from 26°C to 32°C) and increased light (from 200 μmol photons m-2 s-1 to 400 μmol photons m-2 s-1) to induce bleaching. During the bleaching treatment the dinoflagellate symbionts showed a 5.5-fold acceleration in their photosystem II (PSII) repair rate constant, demonstrating that they maintain strong metabolic capacity to clear and replace photo-damaged D1 protein at the elevated temperature and light conditions. Nevertheless, the symbionts concurrently suffered a seven-fold increase in the rate constant for PSII photo-inactivation. This rapid photo-inactivation exceeded the PSII repair capacity, therefore tipping the symbionts, and by implication the symbiosis, into net photo-inhibition. Increased photo-inactivation in hospite, rather than an inhibition of PSII repair, is the principle trigger for net photo-inhibition under bleaching conditions. © 2011, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.