• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.427-435
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• 2003

Growth and pigment responses to different levels of solar radiation with or without ultraviolet (UV)-B component $({\lambda}=280-315nm)$ were investigated in Antarctic rhodophytes, Kallymenia antarctica and Palmaria decipiens, collected around King George Island during the summer of 2000. In K. antarctica specific growth rate, based on thallus area or fresh weight, decreased with increasing solar irradiances while P. decipiens were relatively insensitive to the effects of light. It is noticeable that the presence or absence of UV-B had no significant effect on growth for either species. However, K. antarctica showed a more pronounced reduction in chlorophyll (Chl a) concentrations at higher irradiances in the presence of UV-B. In P. decipiens, Chl a concentrations did not differ despite radiation level fluctuations being lower albeit than initial measurements. Thallus thickness was greater in K. antarctica than in P. decipiens. There were higher relative amounts of UV-absorbing pigments (UVAPs) in P. decipiens than in K, antarctica. The single absorbance peak obtained from the methanol extracts was resolved into three (316,332 and 346nm) in K. antarctica and four peaks (315,326,333 and 349 nm) in Palmaria as a result of the fourth-derivative. After 7 days exposure to solar radiation, the amount of UVAPs in K. antarctica was significantly reduced to a similar degree at all light levels, whereas that of P. decipiens remained unchanged except at 5% of surface irradiance. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of purified extracts indicated that P. decipiens possesses porphyra-334 in addition to three other mycosporine-like anlino acids (MAAs; asterina-330, palythine, shinorine), which are commonly present in K. antarctica. Significantly lower tolerance of K. antarctica to high levels of solar radiation may be connected with its usual absence in the eulittoral, while the active growth and elastic pigment responses of P. decipiens over a wide range of solar irradiance levels up to full sunlight seems to correspond well with its wide vertical distribution from rock pools down to 25-30m.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-215
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• 2002

Effects of artificial and solar W-B radiation on five rhodophytes (Curdiea racovitzae, Gigaytina skottsbergii, Mazzaella obovata, Myriogramme manginii, Palmaria decipiens) from Antarctica have been investigated using PAM fluorescence in laboratory and in the field. Laboratory studies showed that there were significant differences in the UV sensitivity between different species, and that the differences appeared to be correlated with the depth of collection of the specimens. It was apparent from the observations that the samples such as M. manginii and P. decipiens collected from 20-30 m depths were move sensitive to W-B radiation compared with those collected from shallower depths, The present study confirmed that an acclimation to the surrounding light regime could be an important factor to determine the UV-sensitivity of a species or individuals and that PAM measurements are rapid and non-destructive methods to evaluate UV influences. From field studies on M. manginii and P. decipiens it was observed that both plants exhibited changes in the effective quantum yield, with the minimum values nt noon followed by n recovery in the evening. Photoinhibition occurred in these species could therefore be accounted for by so- called dynamic photoinhibition. It seems likely that this protective mechanism may contribute to survival of the species in shallow water where they may encounter intense solar radiation. The presence or absence of the W- B component under solar radiation differently affected the photosynthetic recovery process, and the rate of recovery was much stoney in UV- present than in W- absent conditions. Functional role of W- B appears to delay the recovery of photosynthesis in the studied macroalgae. Differential sensitivity to UV-B recognised between M. manginii and P. decipiens seemed to correspond well with the amount of UV-absorbing substances (UVAS) contained in the respective species. Higher tolerance to solar radiation by the latter species may be due to the higher amount of UVAS. There were variations of UVAS concentrations in algal thalli depending on the season and depth of collection.