Radiative energy budget reveals high photosynthetic efficiency in symbiont-bearing corals

Brodersen, KE; Lichtenberg, M; Ralph, PJ; Kühl, M; Wangpraseurt, D

Radiative energy budget reveals high photosynthetic efficiency in symbiont-bearing corals

Brodersen, KE Lichtenberg, M Ralph, PJ Kühl, M Wangpraseurt, D

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Publisher:: Royal Society of London
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2014, 11 (93)
Issue Date:: 2014-04-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Brodersen, KE
dc.contributor.author	Lichtenberg, M
dc.contributor.author	Ralph, PJ
dc.contributor.author	Kühl, M
dc.contributor.author	Wangpraseurt, D
dc.date.accessioned	2015-03-29T23:01:40Z
dc.date.issued	2014-04-06
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2014, 11 (93)
dc.identifier.issn	1742-5689
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/34503
dc.description.abstract	The light field on coral reefs varies in intensity and spectral composition, and is the key regulating factor for phototrophic reef organisms, for example scleractinian corals harbouring microalgal symbionts. However, the actual efficiency of light utilization in corals and the mechanisms affecting the radiative energy budget of corals are underexplored. We present the first balanced light energy budget for a symbiont-bearing coral based on a fine-scale study of the microenvironmental photobiology of the massive coral Montastrea curta. The majority (more than 96%) of the absorbed light energy was dissipated as heat, whereas the proportion of the absorbed light energy used in photosynthesis was approximately 4.0% under an irradiance of 640 μmol photons m-2 s-1. With increasing irradiance, the proportion of heat dissipation increased at the expense of photosynthesis. Despite such low energy efficiency, we found a high photosynthetic efficiency of the microalgal symbionts showing high gross photosynthesis rates and quantum efficiencies (QEs) of approximately 0.1 O2 photon-1 approaching theoretical limits under moderate irradiance levels. Corals thus appear as highly efficient light collectors with optical properties enabling light distribution over the corallite/tissue microstructural canopy that enables a high photosynthetic QE of their photosynthetic microalgae in hospite. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Royal Society of London
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of the Royal Society Interface
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1098/rsif.2013.0997
dc.subject	Bio-optics
dc.subject	Light energy budget
dc.subject	Light utilization
dc.subject	Microsensors
dc.subject	Photosynthetic efficiency
dc.subject	Thermal boundary layer
dc.title	Radiative energy budget reveals high photosynthetic efficiency in symbiont-bearing corals
dc.type	Journal article
utslib.citation.volume	93
utslib.citation.volume	11
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology
pubs.embargo.period	Not known
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of the Environment
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Students
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.declined	1970-01-01T00:00:00.0+1000
pubs.deleted	1970-01-01T00:00:00.0+1000

Abstract:

The light field on coral reefs varies in intensity and spectral composition, and is the key regulating factor for phototrophic reef organisms, for example scleractinian corals harbouring microalgal symbionts. However, the actual efficiency of light utilization in corals and the mechanisms affecting the radiative energy budget of corals are underexplored. We present the first balanced light energy budget for a symbiont-bearing coral based on a fine-scale study of the microenvironmental photobiology of the massive coral Montastrea curta. The majority (more than 96%) of the absorbed light energy was dissipated as heat, whereas the proportion of the absorbed light energy used in photosynthesis was approximately 4.0% under an irradiance of 640 μmol photons m-2 s-1. With increasing irradiance, the proportion of heat dissipation increased at the expense of photosynthesis. Despite such low energy efficiency, we found a high photosynthetic efficiency of the microalgal symbionts showing high gross photosynthesis rates and quantum efficiencies (QEs) of approximately 0.1 O2 photon-1 approaching theoretical limits under moderate irradiance levels. Corals thus appear as highly efficient light collectors with optical properties enabling light distribution over the corallite/tissue microstructural canopy that enables a high photosynthetic QE of their photosynthetic microalgae in hospite. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/34503