Responses of phyto- and bacterioplankton

We studied the sensitivity to UVR of phyto- and bacterioplankton of Patagonian coastal waters.

Cristina Durán (right) with Paula Bermejo (left), working in the EFPU lab.

We evaluated the sensitivity to UVR of phyto- and bacterioplankton when exposed to present and future conditions (higher acidification and geater input of nutrients) for 5 days. Phytoplankton were partially acclimated (with lower inhibitory effects of UVR in photosynthesis towards the end of the experiment), especially in those samples exposed to future conditions. Bacterial production was inhibited at the beginning of the experiment, but it was stimulated towards the end. Moreover, future conditions favored the growth of bacterioplakton. These changes could have important consequences in the trophodynamics of Patagoanian coastal environments.

Complete reference

Durán Romero, C., V.E. Villafañe, M.S. Valiñas, R.J. Gonçalves & E.W. Helbling. 2017. Solar UVR sensitivity of phyto- and bacterio-plankton communities from Patagonian coastal waters under increased nutrients and acidification. ICES Journal of Marine Sciences. En Prensa.

Funding

This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica – ANPCyT, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Fundación Playa Unión.