Photosynthetic acclimation in psychrophilic phytoplankton associated with environmental fluctuation of irradiance.

Abstract

Psychrophilc phytoplankton including ice algae are responsible to around 20% of the annual photosynthetic production on earth. They perform photosynthesis effectively under low temperature and low irradiance. We have been investigated the photosynthetic performance of such phytoplankton at Saroma-ko, Japan and in the Canadian Arctic ocean. Their photosynthetic acclimation associated with the fluctuation of light environment under low temperature will be discussed.