Photosynthesis in the Marine Environment

Sven Beer, Professor of Marine Botany, Tel Aviv University, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.Mats Björk, Botany Department, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.John Beardall, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia.

• About the authors ixPreface xiAbout the companion website xiiiPart I Plants and the Oceans 1Introduction 1Chapter 1 The evolution of photosynthetic organisms in the oceans 5Chapter 2 The different groups of marine plants 152.1 Cyanobacteria 162.2 Eukaryotic microalgae 172.3 Photosymbionts 232.4 Macroalgae 272.5 Seagrasses 34Chapter 3 Seawater as a medium for photosynthesis and plant growth 393.1 Light 403.2 Inorganic carbon 453.3 Other abiotic factors 52Summary notes of Part I 55Part II Mechanisms of Photosynthesis, and Carbon Acquisition in Marine Plants 57Introduction to Part II 57Chapter 4 Harvesting of light in marine plants: The photosynthetic pigments 614.1 Chlorophylls 614.2 Carotenoids 634.3 Phycobilins 64Chapter 5 Light reactions 675.1 Photochemistry: excitation, de-excitation, energy transfer and primary electron transfer 675.2 Electron transport 745.3 ATP formation 765.4 Alternative pathways of electron flow 77Chapter 6 Photosynthetic CO2-fixation and -reduction 816.1 The Calvin cycle 816.2 CO2-concentrating mechanisms 89Chapter 7 Acquisition of carbon in marine plants 957.1 Cyanobacteria and microalgae 967.2 Photosymbionts 1017.3 Macroalgae 1047.4 Seagrasses 1187.5 Calcification and photosynthesis 122Summary notes of Part II 124Part III Quantitative Measurements, and Ecological Aspects, of Marine Photosynthesis 127Introduction to Part III 127Chapter 8 Quantitative measurements 1298.1 Gas exchange 1318.2 How to measure gas exchange 1338.3 Pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry 1378.4 How to measure PAM fluorescence 1428.5 What method to use: Strengths and limitations 146Chapter 9 Photosynthetic responses, acclimations and adaptations to light 1579.1 Responses of high- and low-light plants to irradiance 1579.2 Light responses of cyanobacteria and microalgae 1639.3 Light effects on photosymbionts 1649.4 Adaptations of carbon acquisition mechanisms to light 1699.5 Acclimations of seagrasses to high and low irradiances 169Chapter 10 Photosynthetic acclimations and adaptations to stress in the intertidal 17510.1 Adaptations of macrophytes to desiccation 17510.2 Other stresses in the intertidal 181Chapter 11 How some marine plants modify the environment for other organisms 18311.1 Epiphytes and other 'thieves' 18311.2 Ulva can generate its own empires 18511.3 Seagrasses can alter environments for macroalgae and vice versa 18711.4 Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae 189Chapter 12 Future perspectives on marine photosynthesis 19112.1 'Harvesting' marine plant photosynthesis 19112.2 Predictions for the future 19212.3 Scaling of photosynthesis towards community and ecosystem production 194Summary notes of Part III 197References 199Index 203