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Phytoplankton carbon to chlorophyll "a" ratio: response to light, temperature and nutrient limitation

Z. Z. Finenko¹, N. Hoepffner², R. Williams³, S. A. Piontkovski¹

1 A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the southern Seas, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sevastopol, Ukraine
2 Institute for Remote Sensing Applications, Joint Research Centre of the European Communities, Ispra, Italy
3 Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom

Abstract

A review was carried out on the effects of light, temperature and nutrient limitation on the carbon to chlorophyll "a" ratios of 36 microalgae species from 7 taxonomic groups using the literature and our own experimental data.
Under similar conditions the C:Chl a ratio for individual taxonomic groups increase in the order: Chlorophyceae < Bacillariophyceae, Prochlorococcus < Prymnesiophyceae < Cyanophyceae < Dinophyceae.
At constant temperature, the C:Chl "a" ratio increases linearly as light increases and decreases exponentially as temperature grows at constant light level. The combined effect of irradiance and temperature on C:Chl "a" ratio is described using an equation with 3 coefficients.
From the empirical equation a decrease in the light levels causes a decrease in the effect of temperature on the C:Chl "a" ratio.
In all algae groups studied different light levels increases the C:Chl "a" ratio in the same way under nutrient limitation. Taking into account, the taxonomy of the phytoplankton, nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth rate, temperature and light intensity the C:Chl "a" ratio within the mixed layer in the oligo-, meso- and eutrophic waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean was 145, 96 and 37 gC gChl" a"-¹ respectively.
Near the base of the euphotic zone the ratio was 30 gC gChl "a"-¹. From the developed equation the C:Chl "a" ratios in phytoplankton under different environment conditions can be described.

Marine Ecological Journal,  2003, Iss.2, pp.40–64

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