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BIO-02 Key changes in ocean variability and the effects of climate change
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Impact of ultraviolet radiation nearly overpowers the effects of elevated pCO2 on a prominent nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium
Xiangqi Yi* , Xiamen University Kunshan Gao, Xiamen University |
While the marine N2-fixers Trichodesmium spp. are under influences of increasing pCO2 and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in their habitats, little is known on their potential responses to future ocean acidification in the presence of UVR. We grew Trichodesmium at two pCO2 levels (410, 1000 μatm) under sunlit conditions with UVR, documented the filament length, growth and chlorophyll a content after its acclimation to the pCO2 treatments, and then measured its carbon and N2 fixations under different solar radiation treatments with or without UVR. We showed that the elevated pCO2 did not significantly alter the diazotroph’s growth, filament length and pigment content, and its photosynthesis was only affected by solar radiation treatments rather than the pCO2 levels. Presence of UV-A and UV-B inhibited the photosynthesis by 10%-22% and 17%-21%, respectively. Inhibition of N2 fixation by UV-B was proportional to its intensity, whereas UV-A appeared to stimulate the N2 fixation at low but inhibit it at high intensities. The elevated pCO2 only stimulated N2 fixation under moderate levels of solar radiation. The simulation of the depth profile of N2 fixation in the water column showed that UV-induced inhibitions dominated the combined effects of elevated pCO2 and UVR at shallow layer (0-30 m) and their combination enhanced N2 fixation at 30-60 m depth, which faded at deeper layer. Altogether, our results suggest that Trichodesmium could be influenced more by UVR than pCO2 and their combination results in negative under high but positive effects under low to moderate solar radiations on its N2 fixation. |
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